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THE 


YOUNG  BUGLERS 


By  G.  a.  HENTY, 

Autliorof  ■'  Jack  Arcker,"  "  Tk§  Bo^  i^nightf"  "  The  Youag  CoUmisiSf"  Etc..  Eto. 


NEW  YORK 

HURST  &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


P--n 


of  7 


HENTY    SERIES    FOR    BOYS. 

UNIFORM   WITH  THIS   VOLUME. 

By  G.  a.  HENTY/ 


Among  Malay  Pirates. 
Bonnie  Prince  Ciiarlie. 
Boy  Knight,  The. 
Bravest  of  the  Brave,  The. 
By  England's  Aid. 
By  Pike  and  Dyke. 
By  Right  of  Conquest, 
By  Sheer  Pluck. 
Captain  Bayley's  Heir. 
Cat  of  Bubastes,  The. 
Cornet  of  Horse,  The. 
Dragon  and  the  Raven. 
Facing  Death. 
Final  Reckoning,  A. 
For  Name  and  Fame. 
For  the  Temple. 
Friends,  Though  Divided. 
Golden  Canon,  The. 
In  Freedom's  Cause. 
In  the  Reign  of  Terror. 
In  Times  of  Peril. 


Jack  Archer. 
Lion  of  St.  Mark,  The. 
Lion  of  the  North,  The. 
Lost  Heir,  The. 
Maori  and  Settler. 
One  of  the  28th. 
Orange  and  Green. 
Out  on  the  Pampas. 
St.  George  for  England. 
Sturdy  and  Strong. 
Through  the  Fray. 
True  to  the  Old  Flag. 
Under  Drake's  Flag. 
With  Clive  in  India, 
With  Lee  in  Virginia. 
With  Wolfe  in  Canada. 
Young  Buglers,  The, 
Young  Carthaginian,  The. 
Young  Colonists,  The. 
Young  Franc-Tireurs,  The. 
Young  Midshipman,  The. 


Prtce    Post-Paid,   jjc.   each,   or  any    three 
books  for  $1.00. 

HURST  &  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS,  New  York. 


GIFI 


/f/5> 


preface; 


To  MY  YouWG  Readers. 


T  REiiEMBDR  that,  as  a  boy,  I  regarded  any  attempt  to 
mix  instruction  with  amusement  as  being  as  objectionable 
a  practice  as  the  administration  of  powder  in  jam  ;  but  I 
think  that  this  feeling  arose  from  the  fact  that  in  those 
days  books  contained  a  very  small  share  of  amusement  and 
a  very  large  share  of  instruction.  I  have  endeavored  to 
avoid  this,  and  I  hope  that  the  accounts  of  battles  and 
sieges,  illustrated  as  they  are  by  maps,  will  be  found  as 
interesting  as  the  lighter  parts  of  the  story.  As  in  my 
tale,  "  Tlic  Young  Franc-TireurSy"  I  gave  the  outline  of 
the  Franco-German  war,  so  I  have  now  endeavored  to 
give  the  salient  features  of  the  great  Peninsular  struggle. 
The  military  facts,  with  the  names  of  generals  and  regi- 
ments, the  dates  and  places,  are  all  strictly  accurate,  and 
any  one  who  has  read  with  care  the  story  of  **  The  Young 
Buglers'"  could  pass  an  examination  as  to  the  leading 
events  of  the  Peninsular  war. 

Yours  truly; 

TS£  AUTQOB. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTiai  L 

fAOB 

A  Coaching  Adventure, 

•       •        •       •       «       «       « 
CHAPTER  IL 

.        .      6 

The  Young  Pickles, 

CHAPTER  m. 

>     •  » 

Enlisted,               • 

•        ••••* 
CHAPTER  IV. 

»       .    40 

A  Tough  Customer,     . 

CHAPTER  V. 

.       •    88 

OTerboard. 

CHAPTER  VL 

►       .    74 

Portugal              • 

•                             •              •             •            •             4 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

»       .    9Z 

The  Passage  of  the  Douro—Talavera,         •       •       •        « 

>       .103 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  Pause  In  Operations, 

•             •••••            4 

CHAPTER  IX. 

>       .  125 

With  the  Guerillas.      . 

•       •••••< 

.       .186 

CHAPTER  X. 

Mftdild*       •      • 

.     ~  •       «       •       I       •       « 

.       ,158 

coirTEirT& 


CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Fight  on  the  Coa,         .        .       .       . 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Busaco  and  Torres  Vedras, 

CHAPTER  XIIL 


Albuera. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
Invalided  Home, 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Ciudad  Rodrigo  and  Badajos, 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Salamanca, 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Caught  in  a  Trap, 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Just  in  Time, 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Vittoria,       ,       , 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Toulouse.     •       •       .       •       •       •       • 


.  170 

.  188 


200 


.  219 
.  280 
.  260 
.  261 
.  276 


293 


810 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  COACHII^G  ADVE]S"TUEB, 

Had  any  of  the  "boys  in  the  lower  forms  of  Eton  in  the 
year  1808,  been  asked  who  were  the  most  popular  boys  of 
their  own  age,  they  would  have  been  almost  sure  to  have 
answered,  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  Tom  and  Peter 
Scudamore,  and  yet  it  is  probable  that  no  two  boys  were 
more  often  in  disgrace.  It  was  not  that  they  were  idle, 
upon  the  contrary,  both  were  fairly  up  in  their  respective 
forms,  but  they  were  constantly  getting  into  mischief  of 
one  sort  or  another  ;  yet  even  with  the  masters  th^  were 
favorites,  there  was  never  anything  low,  disgraceful,  or 
ungentlemanly  in  their  escapades,  and  they  could  be  trusted 
never  to  attempt  to  screen  themselves  from  the  consequences 
by  prevarication,  much  less  by  lying.  If  the  masters  heard 
that  a  party  of  youngsters  had  been  seen  far  out  of  bounds, 
they  were  pretty  sure  that  the  Scudamores  were  among 
them  ;  a  farmer  came  in  from  a  distance  to  complain  that 
his  favorite  tree  had  been  stripped  of  its  apples — for  in 
those  days  apples  were  looked  upon  by  boys  as  fair  objects 
of  sport, — if  the  head-master's  favorite  white  poodle  ap- 
peared dyed  a  deep  blue,  if  Mr.  Jones,  the  most  unpopular 
master  in  the  school,  upon  coming  out  of  his  door  trod 
upon  a  quantity  of  tallow  smeared  all  over  the  doorstep, 

5 


6  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

and  was  laid  np  for  a  week  in  consequence,  there  was  gen- 
erally a  strong  suspicion  tliat  Tom  and  Peter  Scudamore 
were  concerned  in  the  matter.  One  of  their  tricks  actually 
came  to  the  ears  of  the  Provost  himself,  and  caused  quite 
a  sensation  in  the  place,  but  in  this  case,  fortunately  for 
them,  they  escaped  undetected. 

One  fine  summer  afternoon  they  were  out  on  the  water 
with  two  or  three  other  boys  of  their  own  age,  when  a  barge 
was  seen  ahead  at  some  short  distance  from  the  shore.  She 
was  apparently  floating  down  with  the  stream,  and  the 
fact  that  a  horse  was  proceeding  along  the  towing-path  a 
little  way  ahead  was  not  noticed,  as  the  rope  was  slack  and 
was  trailing  under  water.  The  boys,  therefore,  as  they  were 
rowing  against  stream,  steered  their  boat  to  pass  inside  of 
her.  Just  as  they  came  abreast  of  the  horse  a  man  on  the 
barge  suddenly  shouted  to  the  rider  of  the  horse  to  go  on. 
He  did  so,  the  rope  tightened,  rose  from  the  water  just 
under  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  in  another  minute  the  boys 
were  struggling  in  the  water.  All  were  good  swimmers, 
and  would  have  cared  little  for  the  ducking  had  it  oc- 
curred accidentally,  but  the  roars  of  laughter  of  the  barge- 
man, and  the  chaff  with  which  he  assailed  them  as  they 
scrambled  up  the  bank,  showed  clearly  enough  that  they 
had  been  upset  maliciously.  The  boys  were  furious,  and 
one  or  two  proposed  that  they  should  report  the  case,  but 
Tom  Scudamore  pointed  out  that  the  bargeman  would  of 
course  declare  that  it  was  a  pure  accident,  and  that  the 
boys  were  themselves  in  fault  in  not  looking  out  whether 
the  barge  was  being  towed,  before  going  inside  her,  and  so 
nothing  would  come  of  reporting. 

The  boat  was  dragged  ashore  and  emptied,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  they  were  rowing  back  towards  the  town.  The 
distance  was  but  short,  and  they  did  not  repass  the  barge 
before  they  reached  their  boat-house.  The  brothers  had 
exchanged  a  few  words  in  a  low  voice  on  the  way,  and 
instead  of  following  the  example  of  the  others,  and  start* 


^  TBE  YOUNO  BUGLERS,     ~  f 

fag  at  a  run  for  the  house  where  they  boarded  to  change 
their  clothes,  they  walked  down  by  the  river  and  saw  that 
the  barge  had  moored  up  against  the  bank,  at  a  short  dis- 
tance below  the  bridge.  They  watched  for  a  time,  and  saw 
the  bargeman  fasten  up  the  hatch  of  the  little  cabin  and 
go  ashore. 

That  night  two  boys  lowered  themselves  with  a  rope 
from  the  window  of  one  of  the  dames-houses,  and  walked 
rapidly  down  to  the  river.  There  were  a  few  flickering  oil 
lamps  burning,  and  the  one  or  two  old  watchm.en  were 
soundly  asleep  in  their  boxes.  They  did  not  meet  a  soul 
moving  upon  their  way  to  the  object  of  the  expedition,  the 
barge  that  had  run  them  down.  Very  quietly  they  slipped 
on  board,  satisfied  themselves  by  listening  at  the  half -open 
hatch  to  the  snoring  within  that  their  enemy  was  there, 
then  loosened  the  moorings  so  that  they  could  be  thrown 
off  at  a  moment's  notice. 

*'Now,  Peter,"  the  elder  brother  said,  ''open  our  lan- 
tern. The  night  is  quite  still.  You  hold  your  hand  behind 
it,  so  that  the  light  will  not  fall  on  our  faces,  and  I  will 
look  whether  he  is  only  wrapped  up  in  a  blanket  or  has  a 
regular  bed ;  we  must  not  risk  setting  the  place  on  fire. 
Get  the  crackers  ready.'' 

A  dark  lantern  was  now  taken  out  from  under  Tom's 
jacket,  and  was  found  to  be  still  alight,  an  important  mat- 
ter, for  striking  a  light  with  flint  and  steel  was  in  these 
days  a  long  and  tedious  business,  and  then  opening  it 
Tom  threw  the  light  into  the  cabin.  It  was  a  tiny  place, 
and  upon  a  bench,  wrapped  up  in  a  blanket,  the  bargeman 
was  lying.  As  the  light  fell  on  his  eyes,  he  moved,  and  a 
moment  afterwards  started  up  with  an  oath,  and  demanded 
who  was  there. 

No  answer  came  in  words,  but  half  a  dozen  lighted 
crackers  were  thrown  into  the  cabin,  when  they  began  xo 
explode  with  a  tremendous  uproar.  In  an  instant  the 
Latch  was  shut  down  and  fastened  outside.    The  rope  was 


I  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

cast  off,  and  in  another  minute  she  was  floating  down 
stream  with  the  crackers  still  exploding  inside  her,  but 
with  their  noise  almost  deadened  by  the  tremendous  out- 
cry of  shouts  and  howls,  and  by  a  continued  and  furious 
banging  at  the  hatch. 

''  There  is  no  fear  of  his  being  choked,  Tom,  I  hope  ?  " 

''No,  I  expect  he's  all  right/' Tom  said,  ''it^will  be 
pretty  stifling  for  a  bit  no  doubt,  but  there's  a  chimney 
hole  and  the  smoke  will  find  its  way  out  presently.  The 
barge  will  drift  down  to  the  weir  before  it  brings  up,  there 
is  not  enough  stream  out  for  there  to  be  any  risk  of  her 
npsetting,  else  we  daren't  have  turned  her  adrift." 

The  next  day  the  whole  town  was,  talking  of  the  affair, 
and  in  the  afternoon  the  bargeman  went  up  to  the  head- 
master and  accused  one  of  the  boys  of  an  attempt  to  murder 
him. 

Greatly  surprised,  the  Provost  demanded  what  reason  the 
man  had  for  suspecting  the  boys,  and  the  bargeman  ac- 
knowledged that  he  had  that  afternoon  upset  a  boat  with 
four  or  five  boys  in  her.  "  They  would  not  bear  you  mal- 
ice on  that  account,"  the  Provost  said  ;  ''  they  don't  think 
much  of  a  swim  such  weather  as  this,  unless  indeed  you  did 
it  on  purpose." 

The  man  hesitated  in  his  answer,  and  the  Provost  con- 
tinued, "  You  evidently  did  do  it  on  purpose,  and  in  that 
case,  although  it  was  carried  too  far,  for  I  hear  you  had  a 
very  narrow  escape  of  being  stifled,  still  you  brought  it 
upon  yourself,  and  I  hope  it  will  be  a  lesson  to  you  not  to 
risk  the  lives  of  Eton  boys  for  your  amusement.  I  know 
nothing  about  this  affair,  but  if  you  can  point  out  the  boys 
you  suspect  I  will  of  course  inquire  into  it." 

The  bargeman  departed,  grumbling  that  he  did  not  know 
one  of  the  young  imps  from  another,  but  if  he  did  find 
them,  he'd  wring  their  necks  for  them  to  a  certainty.  The 
Provost  had  some  inquiries  made  as  to  the  boys  who  had 
been  upset,  and  whether  they  had  all  been  in  at  lock-up 


THE  YOUNG  BUOLETtS.  9 

time  ;  finding  that  they  had  all  answered  to  their  names,  ha 
made  no  further  investigation. 

This  affair  had  taken  place  in  the  summer  before  this 
story  begins,  on  the  15th  of  October,  1808.  On  that  day 
a  holiday  was  granted  in  consequence  of  the  head-master's 
birthday,  and  the  boys  set  off,  some  to  football,  some  for 
long  walks  in  the  country. 

The  Scudamores,  with  several  of  their  friends,  strolled 
down  the  towing-patli  for  some  miles,  and  walked  back  by  the 
road.  As  they  entered  their  dames-house  on  their  return, 
Tom  Scudamore  said  for  the  twentieth  time,  "Well,  I 
would  give  anything  to  be  a  soldier,  instead  of  having  to 
go  in  and  settle  down  as  a  banker — it's  disgusting  !  " 

As  they  entered  a  boy  came  up.  "Oh,  Scudamore, 
Jackson's  been  asking  for  3^ou  both.  It's  something  par- 
ticular, for  he  has  been  out  three  or  four  times,  and  he 
wanted  to  send  after  you,  but  no  one  knew  where  you  had 
gone." 

The  boys  at  once  went  into  the  master's  study,  where 
they  remained  all  the  afternoon.  A  short  time  after  tkey 
went  in,  Mr.  Jackson  came  out  and  said  a  word  or  two  to 
one  of  the  senior  boys,  and  the  word  was  quickly  passed 
round,  that  there  was  to  be  no  row,  for  the  Scudamores  had 
just  heard  of  the  sudden  death  of  their  father.  That  even- 
ing, Mr  Jackson  had  beds  made  up  for  them  in  his  study, 
so  that  they  might  not  have  the  pain  of  having  to  talk  with 
the  other  boys.  The  housekeeper  packed  up  their  things, 
and  next  morning  early  they  started  by  the  coach  for 
London. 

Mr.  Scudamore,  the  father  of  the  young  Etonians,  was 
a  banker.  He  was  the  elder  of  two  brothers,  and  had  in- 
herited his  father's  business,  while  his  brother  had  gone 
into  the  army.  The  banker  had  married  the  daughter  of 
a  landowner  in  the  neighborhood,  and  had  lived  happily 
and  prosperously  until  her  death,  seven  years  before  this 
story  begins.    She  had  borne  him  three  children,  the  two 


J0  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLEE8, 

boys,  now  fifteen  and  fourteen  years  old  respectively,  and 
a  girl,  Rlioda,  two  years  younger  than  Peter.  The  ioss  of 
his  wife  afflicted  him  greatly,  and  he  received  another  shock 
five  years  later  by  the  death  of  his  brother.  Colonel  Scuda- 
more,  to  whom  he  was  much  attached.  From  the  time  of 
his  wife's  death  he  had  greatly  i^elaxed  in  his  attention  to 
his  business,  and  after  his  brother's  death  he  left  the 
management  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  his  cashier,  in 
whom  he  had  unlimited  confidence.  This  confidence  was 
wholly  misplaced.  For  years  the  cashier  had  been  carry- 
ing on  speculation  upon  his  own  account  with  the  monies 
of  the  bank.  Gradually  and  without  exciting  the  least 
suspicion  he  had  realized  the  various  securities  held  by  the 
bank,  and  at  last  gathering  all  the  available  cash  he,  one 
Saturday  afternoon,  locked  up  the  bank  and  fled. 

On  Monday  it  was  found  that  he  was  missing;  Mr 
Scudamore  went  down  to  the  bank,  and  had  the  books 
taken  into  his  parlor  for  examination.  Some  hours  after- 
wards a  clerk  went  in  and  found  his  master  lying  back  in 
his  chair  insensible.  A  doctor  on  arriving  pronounced  it 
to  be  apoplexy.  He  never  rallied,  and  a  few  hours  after- 
wards the  news  spread  through  the  country  that  Scuda- 
more, the  banker,  was  dead,  and  that  the  bank  had 
stopped  payment. 

People  could  believe  the  former  item  of  news,  but  were 
incredulous  as  to  the  latter.  Scudamore's  bank  was  looked 
upon  in  Lincolnshire  as  at  least  as  safe  as  the  the  Bank  of 
England  itself.  But  the  sad  truth  was  soon  clear  to  all,  and 
for  awhile  there  was  great  distress  of  mind  among  the  peo- 
ple, for  many  miles  round,  for  most  of  them  had  entrusted 
all  their  savings  of  years  to  the  Scudamores'  bank.  When 
affairs  were  wound  up,  however,  it  was  found  that  things 
were  not  quite  so  bad  as  had  been  feared.  Mr.  Scudamore 
had  a  considerable  capital  employed  in  the  bank,  and  the 
sale  of  his  handsome  house  and  estate  realized  a  large  sum, 
80  that  eventually  every  one  received  back  the  money  they 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  11 

had  entrusted  to  the  bank  ;  but  tlie  whole  of  the  capital 
and  the  profits  of  years  of  successful  enterprise  had  van- 
ished, and  it  was  calculated  by  the  executors  that  the 
swindler  must  have  appropriated  at  least  80,000/. 

For  the  first  month  after  their  father^s  death  the  boys 
stayed  with  the  doctor  who  had  long  attended  the  family 
and  had  treated  all  their  ailments  since  they  were  born. 
In  the  great  loss  of  their  father  the  loss  of  their  fortune 
aif  ected  them  but  little,  except  that  they  were  sorry  to  be 
obliged  to  leave  Eton ;  for  the  interest  of  the  little  for- 
tune which  their  mother  had  brought  at  her  marriage, 
and  which  was  all  that  now  remained  to  them,  would  not 
have  been  sufficient  to  pay  for  their  expenses  there,  and 
indeed  such  an  education  would  have  been  out  of  pla^e  for 
two  boys  who  had  to  make  their  own  way  in  life.  At  the 
end  of  this  month  it  was  arranged  that  they  were  to  go  to 
their  only  existing  relative,  an  elder  sister  of  Mr.  Scuda- 
more.  The  boys  had  never  seen  her,  for  she  had  not  for 
many  years  been  friends  with  her  brother. 

The  letter  which  she  had  written  To  the  doctor,  an- 
nouncing her  willingness  to  receive  them,  made  the  boys 
laugh,  although  it  did  not  hold  out  prospects  of  a  very 
pleasant  future.  '^lam,  of  course,'' she  said,  ''prepared 
to  do  my  duty.  No  one  can  say  that  I  have  ever  failed  in 
my  duty.  My  poor  brother  quarreled  with  me.  It  was  his 
duty  to  apologize.  He  did  not  do  so.  Had  it  been  my 
duty  to  apologize  I  should  have  done  so.  As  I  was  right, 
and  he  was  wrong,  it  was  clearly  not  my  duty.  I  shall 
now  do  my  duty  to  my  niece  and  nephews.  Yet  I  may  be 
allowed  to  say  that  I  regret  much  that  they  are  not  all 
nieces.  I  do  not  like  boys.  They  are  always  noisy,  and 
not  always  clean.  They  do  not  wipe  their  shoes,  they  are 
always  breaking  things,  they  go  about  with  all  sorts  of 
rubbish  and  dirt  in  their  pockets,  their  hair  is  always 
rough,  they  are  fond  of  worrying  cats,  and  other  cruel 
games.     Altogether    they    are    objectionable.      Had  my 


12  TSS  YOVNC^  SVQLXnB. 

brother  made  up  his  mind  to  leave  his  children  in  mt 
charge,  it  was  clearly  his  duty  to  have  had  girls  instead  of 
boys.  However,  it  is  not  because  other  people  fail  in  their 
duty  that  I  should  fail  in  mine.  Therefore,  let  them  come 
to  me  this  day  fortnight.  By  that  time  I  shall  have  got 
some  strong  and  suitable  furniture  in  the  room  that  my 
nephews  will  occupy,  and  shall  have  time  to  make  other 
arrangements.  This  letter  will,  if  all  goes  well,  reach  you, 
I  believe,  in  three  days  after  the  date  of  posting,  and  they 
will  take  the  same  time  coming  here.  Assure  them  that  I 
am  prepared  to  do  my  duty,  and  that  I  hope  that  they  will 
make  a  serious  effort  at  doing  theirs.  Ask  my  nephews, 
upon  the  occasion  of  their  first  arrival,  to  make  as  little 
noise  as  they  can,  because  my  cat,  Minnie,  is  very  shy,  and 
if  she  is  scared  at  the  first  meeting,  she  will  take  a  very 
long  time  to  get  accustomed  to  them.  I  also  particularly 
beg  that  they  do  not,  as  they  come  up  to  the  house,  throw 
stones  at  any  of  the  pigeons  who  may  be  resting  upon  the 
roof,  for  the  slates  were  all  set  right  a  few  weeks  ago,  and 
I  am  sure  I  do  not  wish  to  have  the  slater  here  again ;  they 
were  hanging  about  for  ten  days  the  last  time  they  came. 
I  do  not  know  that  I  have  anything  else  to  say.'' 

The  boys  received  the  reading  of  this  singular  epistle 
with  shouts  of  laughter. 

'*  Poor  aunt,''  Tom  said.  "  What  does  she  think  of  us 
that  she  can  suppose  that,  upon  our  very  first  arrival,  we 
should  come  in  like  wild  Indians,  throwing  stones  at  her 
pigeons,  and  frightening  her  Minnie  into  fits.  Did  you 
ever  hear  such  an  extraordinary  idea.  Doctor  Jarvis  ?" 

'*  At  any  rate,  boys,"  the  doctor  said,  when  the  laughter 
had  ceased,  '^  you  may  find  your  aunt  a  little  peculiar,  but 
she  is  evidently  determined  to  do  her  duty  to  you,  and  you 
must  do  yours  to  her,  and  not  play  more  pranks  than  you 
can  help.  As  to  you,  Rhoda,  you  will  evidently  be  in  high 
favor,  and  as  you  are  fortunately  a  quiet  little  lady,  you 
will,  I  have  nc  doubt,  get  on  with  her  very  well," 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  IS 

"I  hope  80,"  Rhoda  said,  smiling,  ''yon  see  she  means 
to  be  kind,  though  she  does  write  funny  letters,  and,  at 
any  rate,  there  are  Minnie  and  the  pigeons  ;  it  sound? 
nice,  you  know.  Do  you  know  what  aunt's  place  is  like. 
Dr.  Jarvis,  and  how  to  get  there  from  here/' 

"  No,  my  dear,  I  never  was  in  that  part  of  England.  It 
is  close  to  Marlborough  that  she  lives,  a  very  pretty  coun- 
try, I  believe.  There  is,  of  course,  no  way  to  go  across 
from  here.  You  must  go  up  to  London  by  coach  from 
here,  and  then  to  Marlborough  by  the  western  coach.  I 
will  write  to  my  brother  James  in  town,  where  you  stopped 
at  night  as  you  came  through,  boys,  and  I  know  that  he 
will  take  you  all  in  for  the  night,  and  see  that  you  go  off 
right  in  the  morning." 

^'  You're  very  kind,  indeed,  Doctor  Jarvis.  I  do  not 
know  how  to  thank  you  for  all  you  have  done  for  us," 
Tom  said  earnestly,  and  the  others  cordially  echoed  the 
sentiment. 

The  day  before  starting  the  doctor  had  a  long  talk  with 
the  boys.  He  pointed  out  to  them  that  their  future  now 
depended  upon  themselves  alone.  They  must  expect  to 
find  many  unpleasantnesses  in  their  way,  but  they  must 
take  their  little  trials  pleasantly,  and  make  the  best  of 
everything.  ''  I  have  no  fear  as  to  Rhoda,"  their  kind 
friend  said.  *'  She  has  that  happy,  amiable,  and  quiet 
disposition  that  is  sure  to  adapt  itself  to  all  circumstances. 
I  have  no  doubt  she  will  become  a  favorite  with  your  aunt. 
Try  to  keep  out  of  scrapes,  boys.  You  know  you  are 
rather  fond  of  mischief,  and  your  aunt  will  not  be  able  to 
understand  it.  If  you  get  into  any  serious  difficulty  write 
to  me,  you  can  rely  upon  always  finding  a  friend  in  me." 

The  journey  to  London  was  no  novelty  to  the  boys,  but 
Rhoda  enjoyed  it  immensely.  Her  place  had  been  taken 
inside,  but  most  of  the  journey  she  rode  outside  with  her 
brothers.  She  was  greatly  amazed  at  the  bustle  and  noise 
ot  London »  and  waa  (]^uite  confused  at  the  shouting  and 


14  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

crowd  at  the  place  where  the  coach  drew  np,  for  two  or 
three  other  coaches  had  just  arrived  from  other  directions. 
Mr.  Jarvis  had  sent  his  man-servant  to  meet  them,  their 
luggage  was  sent  direct  to  the  booking-office  from  which 
the  coach  started  for  Marlborough,  and  the  servant  carried 
a  sff  all  bag  containing  their  night  things.  It  was  evening 
when  they  got  in,  and  Rhoda  could  scarcely  keep  her  eyes 
open  long  enough  to  have  tea,  for  the  coach  had  been  two 
days  and  nights  upon  the  road.  The  next  day  they  stayed 
in  town,  and  Mrs.  Jarvis  took  them  out  to  see  the  sights 
of  London — the  Tower  and  St.  Paul's,  and  Westminster 
Abbey,  and  the  beasts  at  Exeter  Change.  The  boys  had 
twice  before  spent  a  whole  day  in  London,  their  father 
having,  upon  two  occasions,  made  his  visits  to  town  to  fit 
in  with  their  going  up  to  school,  but  to  Rhoda  it  was  all 
new,  and  very,  very  wonderful. 

The  next  day  the  coach  started  early  for  Marlborough. 
It  was  to  take  rather  over  twenty-four  hours  on  the  way. 
As  before,  Rhoda  rode  outside  with  her  brothers  until  the 
evening,  but  then,  instead  of  going  inside,  where  there 
were  five  passengers  already,  she  said,  as  the  night  was  so 
fine  and  warm,  she  would  rather  remain  wilih  them.  They 
were  sitting  behind  the  coachman,  there  were  two  male 
passengers  upon  the  same  seat  with  them,  and  another  in 
the  box  seat  by  the  coachman.  The  conversation  turned, 
as  in  those  days  it  was  pretty  sure  to  turn,  upon  highway- 
men. Several  coaches  had  been  lately  stopped  by  three 
highwaymen,  who  worked  together,  and  were  reported  to 
be  more  reckless  than  the  generality  of  their  sort.  They 
had  shot  a  coachman  who  refused  to  stop,  the  week  before 
on  Hounslow  Heath,  they  had  killed  a  guard  on  the  great 
north  road,  and  they  had  shot  two  passengers  who  resisted, 
near  Exeter. 

Tom  and  Peter  were  greatly  amused  by  observing  that 
the  passenger  Avho  sat  next  to  them,  and  who,  at  the  com* 
mencement  of  the  conversation,  showed  a  brace  of  heavy 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  15 

pistols  with  which  he  was  provided,  with  much  boasting 
as  to  what  he  should  do  if  the  coach  were  attacked,  when 
he  heard  of  the  fate  of  the  passengers  who  had  resisted, 
became  very  quiet  indeed,  and  presently  took  an  oppor- 
tunity, when  he  thought  that  he  was  not  observed,  of  slip- 
ping his  pistols  under  the  tarpaulin  behind  him. 

^'  I  hope  those  dreadful  men  won^t  stop  our  coach,^' 
Rhoda  said. 

"They  won^t  hurt  you  if  they  do,  Ehoda,"  Tom  said 
assuringly.  "^  I  think  it  would  be  rather  a  lark.  I  say, 
Peter/'  he  went  on  in  a  whisper,  ''  I  think  we  might  as- 
tonish them  with  those  pistols  that  coward  next  to  you  has 
hid  behind  him." 

'^  I  should  just  think  so,"  Peter  said  ;  "  the  bargee  at 
Eton  would  be  nothing  to  it." 

The  hours  went  slowly  on.  Rhoda  and  the  boys  dozed 
nncomfortably  against  each  other  and  the  baggage  behind 
them,  until  they  were  suddenly  roused  by  a  shout  in  the 
road  beside  them  :  "  Stand  for  your  lives  I " 

The  moon  was  up,  and  thry  could  see  that  there  were 
three  horsemen.  One  galloped  to  the  horses'  heads,  and 
seized  the  rein  of  one  of  the  leaders,  the  others  rode  by 
the  coach. 

The  first  answer  to  the  challenge  was  a  discharge  from 
the  blunderbuss  of  the  guard,  which  brought  one  of  the 
highwaymen  from  his  horse. 

The  other,  riding  up  to  the  side  of  the  coach,  fired  at 
the  guard,  and  a  loud  cry  told  that  the  shot  had  taken  ef- 
fect. In  another  moment  the  fellow  was  by  the  side  of  the 
coachman. 

*'  Hold  up  !"  he  said,  "  or  I  will  blow  your  brains  out ! " 

The  coachman  did  as  he  was  ordered,  and  indeed  the  man 
at  the  leader's  head  had  almost  succeeded  in  stopping 
them.  The  passenger  next  to  the  boys  had,  at  the  first 
challenge,  again  seized  his  pistol:,  and  the  boys  thought 
that  he  was  going  to  fire  after  al?c 


le  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

**  Lie  down  at  our  feet,  Rhoda,  quick  ! ''  Tom  said, 
*^  and  don't  move  till  I  tell  you/'  The  fate  of  the  guard 
evidently  frightened  away  the  short-lived  courage  of  the 
passenger,  for,  as  the  coachman  again  pulled  up,  he  hastily 
thrust  the  pistols  in  behind  him. 

''  Get  down,  every  one  of  you,'^  the  highwayman 
shouted. 

"Lie  still,  Rhoda,''  Tom  whispered.  "Now,  Peter, 
get  in  underneath  the  tarpaulin." 

This  was  done  as  the  passengers  descended.  The  lug- 
gage was  not  so  heavily  piled  as  usual,  and  the  boys  found 
plenty  of  room  beneath  the  tarpaulin. 

"  Now,  Peter,  you  take  one  of  these  pistols  and  give  me 
the  other.  Now  peep  out.  The  moon  is  hidden,  which 
is  a  good  thing  ;  now,  look  here,  you  shall  shoot  that  fel- 
low standing  down  below,  who  is  swearing  at  the  ladies 
inside  for  not  getting  out  quicker.  I'll  take  a  shot  at  that 
fellow  standing  in  front  of  the  horse's  heads." 
"  Do  you  think  you  can  hit  him,  Tom  ?  " 
"  I  have  not  the  least  idea,  but  I  can  try  ;  and  if  yon 
hit  the  other  one,  the  chances  are  he'll  bolt,  whether  I  hit 
him  or  not.  Open  the  tarpaulin  at  the  side  so  as  to  see 
well,  and  rest  the  pistol  upon  something.  You  must  take 
a  good  shot,  Peter,  for  if  you  miss  him  we  shall  be  in  a 
mess." 

"All  right,"  Peter  said,  in  a  whisper,  "I  can  almost 
touch  him  with  the  pistol." 

In  loud  and  brutal  tones  the  highwayman  now  began  to 
order  the  frightened  ladies  to  give  up  their  watches  and 
rings,  enforcing  his  commands  with  terrible  curses.  When 
suddenly  a  pistol  flashed  out  Just  behind  him,  and  he  fell  off 
his  horse  with  a  ball  through  his  shoulder. 

Tom^s  shot,  though  equally  well  intended,  was  not  so 
truly  aimed.  The  highwayman  had  dismounted,  and  was 
standing  just  in  front  of  the  leaders,  so  that  Tom  had  a 
fair  view  of  him  between  them.    The  bays  had  both  occft- 


fiiotialiy  fired  their  father's  pistols,  for,  in  those  days, 
each  householder  in  the  country  always  kept  loaded  pistols 
in  his  room,  but  his  skill  was  not  sufficient  to  make  sure 
of  a  man  at  that  distance.  The  bullet  flew  past  at  two 
feet  to  the  left  of  his  head.  But  its  eflect  was  scarcely 
less  startling  than  if  it  had  actually  hit  him,  for,  in  its 
passage,  it  passed  through  the  ear  of  the  off  leader.  The 
horse  made  a  start  at  the  sudden  pain,  and  then  dashed 
forward.  The  rest  of  the  team,  already  alarmed  by  the 
shot,  followed  her  lead ;  before  the  startled  highwayman 
could  get  out  of  the  way  they  were  upon  him,  in  another 
instant  he  was  under  their  heels,  and  the  coach  gave  a 
sudden  lurch  as  it  passed  over  his  body. 

"  Lie  still,  Rhoda,  a  little  longer  ;  it's  all  right,  but  the 
horses  have  run  away,"  Tom  exclaimed,  as  he  scrambled 
forward,  and  caught  hold  of  the  reins,  which  the  coach- 
man had  tied  to  the  rail  of  the  seat  as  he  got  down. 
*'  Catch  hold  of  the  reins,  Peter,  and  help  me  pull." 

Peter  did  so  ;  but  the  united  strength  of  the  boys  was 
wholly  unequal  to  arresting  the  headlong  flight  of  the 
horses. 

Fortunately  the  highwaymen  had  chosen  a  low  bottom 
between  two  hills,  to  arrest  the  coach,  consequently  the 
road  was  up  a  hill  of  moderate  steepness.  The  boys  hoped 
that  the  horses  would  stop  when  they  got  to  the  top  ;  but 
they  went  on  with  redoubled  speed, 

*'  This  is  something  like  going  it,"  Peter  said. 

"  Isn't  it,  Peter  ?  They  know  their  way,  and  we  ain't 
likely  to  meet  anything  in  the  road.  They  will  stop  at 
their  stable.  At  any  rate,  it's  no  use  trying  to  steer 
them.  Here,  Rhoda  dear,  get  up ;  are  you  very  much 
frightened  ?  " 

Rhoda  still  lay  quite  still,  and  Peter,  holding  on  with 
difficulty,  for  the  coach  quite  rocked  with  the  speed  at 
which  they  were  going,  climbed  over  to  her,  and  stooped 
down.     "  Shall  I  help  you  up,  Rhoda  ?  " 


in  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

"No,   please,   I  would  rather    stop  here  till   it's  all 


over/' 


Fortunately  the  hill,  up  to  the  village  where  they  made 
the  change,  was  a  steep  one,  and  the  horses  broke  into  a 
trot  before  they  reached  the  top,  and,  in  another  minute 
drew  up  at  the  door  of  the  inn.  The  astonishment  of  the 
ostlers  at  seeing  the  horses  covered  with  lather,  and  coach- 
box tenanted  only  by  two  boys,behind  whom  a  little  white 
face  now  peered  out,  was  extreme,  and  they  were  unable 
to  get  beyond  an  ejaculation  of  hallo!  expressive  of  a 
depth  of  incredulous  astonishment  impossible  to  be  ren- 
dered by  words. 

'^  Look  here/'  Tom  said,  with  all  the  composure,  and 
much  of  the  impudence,  which  then,  as  now,  character- 
ized the  young  Etonian,  "  don't  be  staring  like  a  pack  of 
stuck  pigs.  You  had  better  get  the  fresh  horses  in,  and 
drive  back  to  the  bottom,  about  four  miles  from  here. 
There  has  been  regular  row  with  some  fellows,  and  I  ex- 
pect two  or  three  are  killed.  Now,  just  put  up  the  lad- 
der ;  I  want  to  get  my  sister  down." 

Almost  mechanically  the  men  put  the  ladder  up  to  tho 
coach,  and  the  boys  and  Rhoda  got  down. 

''Do  you  say  the  coach  has  been  attacked  by  highway- 
men in  Burnet  bottom  ?  " 

''  I  don't  know  anything  about  Burnet  bottom,"  Tom 
said.  ''It  was  a  bottom  about  four  miles  off.  There 
were  three  of  them.  The  guard  shot  one  of  them,  and 
the  others  shot  the  guard.  Then  we  were  stopped  by 
them,  and  every  one  had  to  get  down.  Then  the  horses 
ran  away,  and  here  we  are." 

''  Then  there  are  two  of  those  highwayman  chaps  with 
the  passengers,"  one  of  the  men  said. 

''You  need  not  be  afraid  of  them,"  Tom  said  care- 
lessly ;  "  one  got  shot,  and  I  don't  know  about  the  other, 
but  the  wheel  of  tlie  coach  went  over  him,  so  I  do  not 
suppose  he  will  be  much  trouble.    Now,  if  I  were  you. 


THE  YOUNG  BU0LER8.  19 

I  should  not  stand  staring  any  more,  but  should  make  haste 
and  take  the  coach  back/' 

*^  Hullo^  look  at  this  grey/'  one  of  the  men  exclaimed, 
as,  at  last  understanding  what  had  taken  place,  they  be- 
gan to  bustle  about  to  change  horses.  ''  He's  got  blood 
all  over  the  side  of  his  head.  One  of  those  scoundrels  has 
shot  him  through  the  ear/' 

Tom  burst  out  kughing.  '^  I  am  the  scoundrel  !  "  he 
said.  ''  Peter,  that  explains  why  we  went  off  so  suddenly. 
I  missed  the  fellow^  and  hit  the  leader  in  the  ear.  How- 
ever, it  comes  to  the  same  thing.  By  the  way,  we  may  as 
well  take  the  pistols." 

So  saying,  he  ran  up  the  ladder  and  brought  down  the 
pistols.     By  this  time  the  fresh  horses  were  in. 

*'I  can't  make  nought  of  it,"  one  of  the  ostlers  said, 
climbing  up  into  the  coachman's  seat.  '^Jump  up.  Bill 
and  Harry.  It's  the  rummiest  go  I  ever  heard  of  in  coach- 
ing." 

'^  Landlady,  can  you  get  us  some  tea  at  once,  please," 
Tom  said,  going  up  to  the  landlady,  .who  was  looking  on 
from  the  door  of  the  house  with  an  astonishment  equal  to 
that  of  the  men  at  the  whole  affair ;  ''  as  quickly  as  you 
can,  for  my  sister  looks  regularly  done  up  with  fatigue, 
and  then,  please  let  her  lie  down  till  the  coach  is  ready 
to  start  again.  It  will  be  three  quarters  of  an  hour  be- 
fore it  is  back,  and  then,  I  daresay,  there  will  be  a  lot  of 
talking  before  they  go  on.  I  should  think  they  will  be 
wanting  breakfast.  At  any  rate,  an  hour's  rest  will  do  you 
good,  Ehoda." 

Rhoda  was  too  worn  out  with  the  over-excitement  even 
to  answer.  Fortunately  there  was  hot  water  in  order  to 
make  hot  grog  for  the  outriders  of  the  coach,  some  tea 
was  quickly  made,  and  in  ten  minutes  Ehoda  was  fast 
asleep  on  the  landlady's  bed. 

Tom  and  Peter  expressed  their  desire  for  something 
Bubstantial  in  the  way  of  eating,  for  the  morning  had  now 


20  '^E  rOUNO  SUGLSR3. 

fairly  broken.  The  landlady  brought  in  some  cold  meat, 
upon  which  the  boys  made  a  vigorous  attack,  and  then, 
taking  possession  of  two  benches,  they  dozed  off  until  the 
coach  arrived. 

It  had  but  three  horses,  for  one  had  been  sent  off  to 
carry  Bill,  the  ostler,  at  full  speed  to  the  town  at  which 
they  had  last  changed  horses,  to  fetch  a  doctor  and  the 
constable.  The  other  two  men  had  remained  with  the 
guard,  who  was  shot  in  the  hip,  and  the  highwayman, 
whose  collar-bone  was  broken  by  Peter's  shot.  The  fellow 
shot  by  the  guard,  and  the  other  one,  whom  the  coach 
wheels  had  passed  over,  were  both  dead. 

"  There's  the  coach,  Tom." 

"  What  a  nuisance,  Peter,  they'll  all  be  wanting  to  talk 
now,  and  I  am  just  so  comfortably  off.  Well,  I  suppose  it's 
no  use  trying  to  get  any  more  sleep." 

So  saying,  they  roused  themselves,  and  went  out  to  the 
door  just  as  the  coach  drew  up. 

There  was  a  general  shout  of  greeting  from  the  pas- 
sengers, which  was  stopped,  however,  by  a  peremptory 
order  from  the  coachman. 

He  was  a  large,  stout  man,  with  a  face  red  from  the 
effects  of  wind  and  exposure.  ''Jack,"  he  said,  to  a  man 
who  was  standing  near,  for  the  news  of  the  attack  upon  the 
coach  had  quickly  spread,  and  all  the  villagers  were  astir  to 
see  it  come  in.  Jack,  hold  the  leader's  head.  Thomas, 
open  the  door,  and  let  the  insides  out.  Gents,"  he  said 
solemnly,  when  this  was  done,  ''  I'm  going  to  do  what  isn't 
a  usual  thing  by  no  means,  in  fact,  I  ain't  no  precedence 
for  doing  it  ;  but  then,  I  do  not  know  any  precedence  for 
this  here  business  altogether.  I  never  did  hear  of  a  coach- 
man standing  up  on  his  box  to  give  a  cheer,  no,  not  to 
King  George  himself  ;  but,  there.  King  George  never 
polished  off  two  highwaymen  all  to  himself,  leastway,  not 
as  I've  heard  tell  of.  Now,  these  two  young  gents  have 
done  this.     They  have  saved  my  coach  and  my  passengers 


"Stop  Him  I  Stop  Him  l"  yelled  Sam;  "Gracious  me,  dis  am  DREFFUt," 
V«B.  Page  20. 


I, , 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  21 

from  getting  robbed,  and  so  I'm  going  to  give  'em  three 
cheers.  Ill  trouble  you  to  help  me  up  into  the  box  seat, 
gentlemen/' 

Assisted  by  the  other  passengers,  the  driver  now  gravely 
climbed  up  into  the  box  seat,  steadied  himself  there  by 
placing  one  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  passenger  next 
him,  took  off  his  low-crowned  hat,  and  said.  ''  Follow  me, 
gents,  with  three  cheers  for  those  young  gents  standing 
there  ;  better  plucked  ones  I  never  came  across,  and  Fve 
traveled  a  good  many  miles  in  my  day.'' 

So  saying,  he  gave  three  stentorian  cheers,  which  were 
echoed  by  all  the  passengers  and  villagers. 

Then  there  was  a  momentary  silence,  and  Tom,  who,  with 
his  brother,  had  been  feeling  very  uncomfortable,  although 
rather  inclined  to  laugh,  seeing  that  he  was  expected  to 
say  something,  said,  ''  Thank  you  all  very  much  ;  but  we'd 
much  rather  you  hadn't  done  it." 

Then  there  was  a  general  laugh  and  movement,  and  a 
general  pressing  forward  of  the  passengers  to  shake  the 
boys  by  the  hand.  The  driver  was  assisted  down  from  hia 
elevated  position,  and  got  off  the  coach  and  came  up  to 
them.  "  That's  the  first  speech  I  ever  made,  young  gentle- 
men, and,  if  I  know  myself,  it  will  be  the  last  ;  but,  you 
see,  I  was  druv  to  it.  You're  a  good  sort,  that's  certain. 
What  will  you  drink  ?  " 

The  boys  declared  for  beer,  and  drank  solemnly  with  the 
driver,  imitating  him  in  finishing  their  mugs  at  a  draught, 
and  turning  them  topsy-turvy.  There  was  now  a  great 
deal  of  talking,  and  many  questions  were  asked.  Tom  and 
Peter  modestly  said  that  there  was  really  nothing  to  tell. 
They  saw  that  the  gentleman  next  to  them  intended  to 
use  his  pistols  ;  but,  not  seeing  a  good  opportunity,  put 
them  down  behind  the  tarpaulin,  and  the  thought  occurred 
to  them  that,  by  slipping  behind  it,  they  would  get  a  good 
chance  of  a  certain  shot.  Accordingly,  they  had  fired,  and 
then  the  horse  had  run  away,  and  there  was  an  end 


22  THE  YOUNG  BUOLERS. 

of  it.  There  was  nothing  extraordinary  in  the  whole 
matter. 

"  At  any  rate,  my  boys,  you  have  saved  me  from  a  loss 
of  a  couple  of  hundred  pounds  which  I  had  got  hid  in  my 
boots,  but  which  those  fellows  would  have  been  sure  to  have 
have  discovered,''  one  of  the  passengers  said. 

There  was  a  general  chorus  of  satisfaction  at  many 
watches  and  trinkets  saved,  and  then  the  first  passenger 
went  on, — 

**  I  propose,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  that  when  we  get  to 
the  end  of  our  journey  we  make  a  subscription,  according 
to  the  amount  we  have  saved,  and  that  we  get  each  of  these 
young  gentlemen  a  brace  of  the  very  best  pistols  that  can 
be  bought.  If  they  go  on  as  they  have  begun,  they  will 
find  them  useful." 

There  was  a  general  exclamation  of  approval,  and  one  of 
the  ladies,  who  had  been  an  inside  passenger,  said,  ''  And 
I  think  we  ought  to  give  a  handsome  ring  to  their  sister  as 
a  memorial  through  life.  Of  course,  she  had  not  so  much 
to  do  as  her  brothers,  but  she  had  the  courage  to  keep  still, 
and  she  had  to  run  the  risk,  both  of  being  shot,  and  of  be- 
ing upset  by  the  coach  just  as  they  did." 

This  also  was  unanimously  approved,  and,  after  doing 
full  justice  to  the  breakfast  set  before  them,  the  party 
again  took  their  places.  Rhoda  being  carried  down  asleep, 
by  the  landlady,  and  placed  in  the  coach,  one  of  the  inside 
passengers  getting  out  to  make  room  for  her,  and  she  was 
laid,  curled  up,  on  the  seat,  with  her  head  in  a  lady's  lap, 
and  slept  quietly,  until,  to  her  astonishment,  she  was  woke 
up,  and  told  that  she  was  in  Marlborough, 


ms  roum  BUGLsna.  sn 


CHAPTER  II. 


TWO  TOUIfG  PICKLES. 


Ak  old-fashioned  open  carriage,  drawn  by  a  stiff,  old-fash- 
ioned horse,  and  driven  by  a  stiff,  old-fashioned  man,  was 
in  waiting  at  the  inn  at  which  the  coach  drew  up  at  Marl- 
borough. Into  this  the  young  Scudamores  were  soon  trant- 
ferred,  and,  after  a  hearty  good-bye  from  their  fellow-pas- 
sengers, and  an  impressive  one  from  the  coachman,  they 
started  upon  the  concluding  part  of  their  journey. 

*'  How  far  is  it  to  aunt's  ?"  Tom  asked. 

*'  About  six  miles,  young  sir,''  the  driver  said  gravely. 

The  young  Scudamores  had  great  difficulty  to  restrain 
their  laughter  at  Tom's  new  title  ;  in  fact,  Peter  nearly 
choked  himself  in  his  desperate  efforts  to  do  so,  and  ao 
further  questions  were  asked  for  some  time. 

The  ride  was  a  pleasant  one,  and  Ehoda,  who  had  never 
been  out  of  Lincolnshire  before,  was  delighted  with  the 
beautiful  country  through  which  they  were  passing.  The 
journey,  long  as  it  was — for  the  road  was  a  very  bad  one, 
and  the  horse  had  no  idea  of  going  beyond  a  slow  trot — 
passed  quickly  to  them  all  ;  but  they  were  glad  when  the 
driver  pointed  to  a  quaint  old-fashioned  house  standing 
back  from  the  road,  and  said  that  they  were  home. 

*' There  are  the  pigeons,  Ehoda,  and  there  is  Minnie 
asleep  on  that  open  window-sill." 

Very  many  times  had  tlie  young  Scudamores  talked  about 
their  aunt,  and  had  pictured  to  themselves  what  she  would 
be  like  ;  and  their  ideas  of  her  so  nearly  approached  th« 
truthj  that  she  almost  seemed  to  be  an  old  acqaaintanoe  aa 


24  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

she  came  to  the  door  as  the  carriage  stopped.  She  was  a 
tall,  upright,  elderly  lady,  with  a  kind,  but  very  decided 
face,  and  a  certain  prim  look  about  her  manner  and  dress. 

*'  Well,  niece  Rhoda  and  nephews,  I  am  glad  to  see  that 
you  have  arrived  safely,^'  she  said  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice. 
"  Welcome  to  the  Yews.  I,  hope  that  we  shall  get  on  very 
well  together.  Joseph,  I  hope  that  you  have  not  driven 
Daisy  too  fast,  and  that  you  did  not  allow  my  nephews  to 
use  the  whip.  You  know  I  gave  you  very  distinct  instruc- 
tions not  to  let  them  do  so." 

"No,  my  lady,  they  never  so  much  as  asked.*' 

**  That  is  right,"  Miss  Scudamore  said,  turning  round 
and  shaking  hands  with  the  boys,  who  had  now  got  out  of  the 
carriage  and  had  helped  Ehoda  down.  "  I  am  glad  to  hear 
what  Joseph  tells  me,  for  I  know  that  boys  are  generally 
fond  of  furious  driving  and  like  lashing  horses  until  they  put 
them  into  a  gallop.  And  now,  how  are  you,  niece  Rhoda  I 
Give  me  a  kiss.  That  is  right.  You  look  pale  and  tired, 
child ;  you  must  have  something  to  eat,  and  then  go  to  bed. 
Girls  can^t  stand  racketing  about  as  boys  can.  You  look 
quiet  and  nice,  child,  and  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall  suit 
very  well.  It  is  very  creditable  to  you  that  you  have  not 
been  spoilt  by  your  brothers.  Boys  generally  make  their 
sisters  almost  as  noisy  and  rude  as  they  are  themselves." 

'*  I  don't  think  we  are  noisy  and  rude,  aunt,"  Tom  said, 
with  a  smile. 

*'  Oh,  you  don't,  nephew  ?"  Miss  Scudamore  said,  looking 
at  him  sharply,  and  then  shaking  her  head  decidedly  two 
or  three  times.  ''  If  your  looks  do  not  belie  you  both  sadly, 
you  are  about  as  hair-brained  a  couple  of  lads  as  my  worst 
enemies  could  wish  to  see  sent  to  plague  me ;  but,"  she 
added  to  herself,  as  she  turned  to  lead  the  way  indoors,  ''  I 
must  do  my  duty,  and  must  make  allowances  ;  boys  will  be 
boys,  boys  will  be  boys,  so  they  say  at  least,  though  why  they 
Bhould  be  is  more  than  I  can  make  out.  Now,  Rhoda,  I 
will  take  you  up  with  me.    Your  bedroom  leads  out  of  mine. 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  25 

dear.  Hester/'  she  said  to  a  prim-looking  servant  who  had 
come  out  after  her  to  the  door  ;  ''  will  you  show  my  nephews 
to  their  room  ?  Dinner  will  be  ready  at  two  ;  it  is  just  a 
quarter  to  the  hour  now.  I  see  that  you  have  got 
watches,  so  that  you  will  be  able  to  be  punctual ;  and  I  must 
request  you,  when  you  have  done  washing,  not  to  throw 
the  water  out  of  the  window,  because  my  flower-beds  are 
underneath." 

Tom  had  great  difficulty  in  keeping  his  countenance, 
while  he  assured  his  aunt  that  his  brother  and  himself  never 
did  empty  their  basins  out  of  the  window. 

"  That  is  right,''  Miss  Scudamore  said  doubtfully  ;  "  but 
I  have  heard  that  boys  do  such  things." 

Once  fairly  in  their  room  and  the  door  shut,  the  boys  had 
a  great  laugh  over  their  aunt's  ideas  as  to  boys. 

*'  There  is  one  comfort,"  Tom  said  at  last ;  ''  whatever 
we  do  we  shall  never  surprise  her." 

^^I  think  we  shall  get  on  very  well  with  her,"  Peter  said. 
''  She  means  to  be  kind,  I  am  sure.  This  is  a  jolly  room, 
Tom." 

It  was  a  low  wainscoted  room,  with  a  very  wide  window 
divided  into  three  by  mullions,  and  fitted  with  latticed 
panes.  They  were  open,  and  a  delicious  scent  of  flowers 
came  in  from  the  garden.  The  furniture  was  all  new  and 
very  strong,  of  dark  stained  wood,  which  harmonized  well 
with  the  paneling.  There  were  no  window  curtains,  but 
a  valance  of  white  dimity  hung  above  the  window.  There 
was  a  piece  of  carpet  between  the  beds ;  the  rest  of  the 
floor  was  bare,  but  the  boards  were  of  old  oak,  and  looked 
as  well  without  it.  Several  rows  of  [)eg3  had  been  put 
upon  the  walls,  and  there  was  a  small  .:;hest  of  drawers  by 
each  bed. 

*'  This  is  very  jolly,  Peter ;  but  it  is  a  pity  that  there  are 
bars  to  the  window." 

When  they  came  down  to  dinner  they  found  that  Khoda, 
quite  done  up  with  her  journey,  had  gone  to  bed. 


26  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

"You  like  your  room,  I  hope,  nephews,'*  Miss  Scuda- 
more  said,  after  they  had  taken  their  seats. 

"Yes,  aunt,  very  much.  There  is  only  one  drawback 
to  it." 

"What  is  that,  Thomas  ?'' 

**  Oh,  please,  aunt,  don't  call  me  Thomas  ;  it  is  a  dread- 
ful name ;  it  is  almost  as  bad  as  Tommy.  Please  call  m3 
Tom.     I  am  always  called  Tom  by  every  one.'' 

**  I  am  not  fond  of  these  nicknames,"  Miss  Scudamore 
said.  "  There  is  a  flippancy  about  them  of  which  I  do  not 
approve." 

"  Yes,  aunt,  in  nicknames  ;  but  Tom  is  not  a  nickname  ; 
it  is  only  a  short  way  of  speaking.  We  never  hear  of  a 
man  being  called  Thomas,  unless  he  is  a  footman  or  an 
archbishop,  or  something  of  that  sort." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  archbishop  ?"  Miss  Scudamore 
asked  severely. 

"  Well,  aunt,  I  was  going  to  say  footman,  and  then  I 
thought  of  Thomas  a  Becket ;  and  there  was  Thomas  the 
Khymer.  I  have  heard  of  him,  but  I  never  read  any  of  his 
rhymes.  I  wonder  why  they  did  not  call  them  poems.  But 
I  expect  even  Thomas  k  Becket  was  called  Tom  in  his  own 
family." 

Miss  Scudamore  looked  sharply  at  Tom,  but  he  had  a 
perfect  command  of  his  face,  and  could  talk  the  greatest 
nonsense  with  the  most  serious  face.  He  went  on  unmoved 
with  her  scrutiny. 

"  I  have  often  wondered  why  I  was  not  christened  Tom, 
It  would  have  been  much  more  sensible.  For  instance, 
Rhoda  is  christened  Rhodaandnot  Rhododendron." 

"  Rhododendron  ?  "  Miss  Scudamore  said,  mystified. 

"  Yes,  aunt,  it  is  an  American  plant,  I  believe.  We  had 
one  in  the  green-house  at  home  ;  it  was  sent  poor  papa  by 
»ome  friend  who  went  out  there.  I  don't  see  anything  else 
Ehoda  could  come  from." 

**yott  are  speaking  very  ignorantly,  nephew,"  Mias 


%]^ 


"Ul  PBLL  OFP  HIS  HORSe."— Pftg*  s6. 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  27 

Scndamore  said  severely.  *'  I  don't  know  anything  about 
the  plant  you  speak  of,  but  the  name  of  Rhoda  existed 
before  America  was  ever  heard  of.  It  is  a  very  ol(J 
name.'' 

''I  expect/'  Peter  said,  ^' it  must  have  meant  originally 
a  woman  of  Rhodes.  You  see  Crusaders  and  Templars 
were  always  having  to  do  with  Rhodes,  and  they  no  doubt 
brought  the  name  home,  and  so  it  got  settled  here." 

*'  The  name  is  mentioned  in  Scripture,"  Miss  Scudamore 
said  severely. 

*'  Yes,  aunt,  and  that  makes  it  still  more  likely  that  it 
meant  a  woman  of  Rhodes ;  you  see  Rhodes  was  a  great 
place  then." 

Miss  Scudamore  was  silent  for  some  time.  Then  she 
went  back  to  the  subject  with  which  the  conversation  had 
commenced.     '^What  is  the  objection  you  spoke  of  to  the 


room 


p^> 


"  Oh  !  it  is  the  bars  to  the  window,  aunt.'* 

'*  I  have  just  had  them  put  up,"  Miss  Scudamore  said 
calmly. 

*'  Just  put  up,  aunt ! "  Tom  repeated  in  surprise, ''  what 
for?" 

^*  To  prevent  you  getting  out  at  night." 

The  boys  could  not  help  laughing  this  time,  and  then 
Peter  said,  '^  But  why  should  we  want  to  get  out  at  night, 
aunt  ?" 

''  Why  should  boys  always  want  to  do  the  things  they 
ought  not  ?  "  Miss  Scudamore  said.  "  I've  heard  of  boys 
being  let  down  by  ropes  to  go  and  buy  things.  I  dare  say 
you  have  both  done  it  yourselves." 

*'  Well,  aunt,"  Tom  said,  '^  perhaps  we  have ;  but  then, 
you  see,  that  was  at  school." 

*'  I  do  not  see  any  difference,  nephew.  If  you  will  get 
out  at  one  window,  you  will  get  out  at  another.  There  is 
mischief  to  be  done  in  the  country  as  well  as  in  towns; 
and  so  long  as  there  is  mischief  to  do,  so  long  will  boys  ga 


28  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

ont  of  their  way  to  do  it.  And  now  I  will  tell  you  the 
rules  of  this  house,  to  which  you  will  be  expected  to  ad- 
here. It  is  well  to  understand  things  at  once,  as  it  pre- 
vents mistakes.  We  breakfast  at  eight,  dine  at  two,  have 
tea  at  half -past  six,  and  you  will  go  to  bed  at  half-past 
eight.  These  hours  will  be  strictly  observed.  I  shall  ex- 
pect your  hands  and  faces  to  be  washed,  and  your  hairs 
brushed  previous  to  each  meal.  When  you  come  indoors 
you  will  always  take  off  your  boots  and  put  on  your  shoes 
in  the  little  room  behind  this.  And  now,  if  you  have  done 
dinner  I  think  that  you  had  better  go  and  lie  down  on 
your  bed,  and  get  two  or  three  hours'  sleep.  Take  your 
boots  off  before  you  get  into  the  bed." 

"  She  means  well,  Peter,''  the  elder  brother  said,  as  they 
went  upstairs,  "  but  I  am  afraid  she  will  fidget  our  lives 
out." 

For  two  or  three  days  the  boys  wandered  about  enjoying 
the  beautiful  walks,  and  surprising  and"  pleasing  their  aunt 
by  the  punctuality  with  which  they  were  in  to  their  meals. 
Then  she  told  them  that  she  had  arranged  for  them  to  go 
to  a  tutor,  who  lived  at  Warley,  a  large  village  a  mile  dis- 
tant, and  who  had  some  eight  or  ten  pupils.  The  very 
first  day's  experience  at  the  school  disgusted  them.  The 
boys  were  of  an  entirely  different  class  to  those  with  whom 
they  had  hitherto  associated,  and  the  master  was  violent 
and  passionate. 

'^  How  do  you  like  Mr.  Jones,  nephews  ?  "  Miss  Scuda- 
more  asked  upon  their  return  after  their  first  day  at 
school. 

''We  do  not  like  him  at  all,  aunt.  In  the  first  place, 
he  is  a  good  deal  too  handy  with  that  cant  of  his." 

"  '  He  who  spares  the  rod — ' " 

''Yes,  we  know  that,  aunt,  'spoils  the  child,'"  broke 
in  Tom,  "  but  we  would  not  mind  so  much  if  the  fellow 
were  a  gentleman." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  may  call  a  gentleman,"  Misa 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  29 

Scudaraore  said  severely.  ^'  He  stands  very  high  here  as 
a  schoolmaster^  while  he  visits  the  vicar,  and  is  well  looked 
up  to  everywhere/* 

*'  He^'s  not  a  gentleman  for  all  that/'  Tom  muttered  ; 
'*  he  wouldn't  be  if  he  visited  the  Queen.  One  does  not 
mind  being  thrashed  by  a  gentleman  ;  one  is  used  to  that 
at  Eton  ;  but  to  be  knocked  about  by  a  fellow  like  that  I 
Well,  we  shall  see." 

For  a  week  the  boys  put  up  with  the  cruelty  of  their 
tutor,  who  at  once  took  an  immense  dislike  to  them  on 
finding  that  they  did  not,  like  the  other  boys,  cringe  be- 
fore him,  and  that  no  thrashing  could  extract  a  cry  from 
them. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  they  did  not  meditate 
vengeance,  but  they  could  hit  upon  no  plan  which  could 
be  carried  out  without  causing  suspicion  that  it  was  the 
act  of  one  of  the  boys  ;  and  in  that  case  they  knew  that 
he  would  question  them  all  round,  and  they  would  not  tell 
a  lie  to  screen  themselves. 

Twice  they  appealed  to  their  aunt,  but  she  would  not 
listen  to  them,  saying  that  the  other  boys  did  not  com- 
plain, and  that  if  their  master  was  more  severe  with  them 
than  with  others,  it  could  only  be  because  they  behaved 
worse.  It  was  too  evident  that  they  were  boys  of  very 
violent  dispositions,  and  although  she  was  sorry  that  their 
master  found  it  necessary  to  punish  them,  it  was  clearly 
her  duty  not  to  interfere. 

The  remark  about  violence  arose  from  Miss  Scudamore 
having  read  in  the  little  paper  which  was  published  once  a 
week  at  Marlborough  an  account  of  the  incident  of  th* 
stopping  of  the  coach,  about  which  the  boys  had  agreed  to 
say  nothing  to  her.  The  paper  had  described  the  conduct 
of  her  nephews  in  the  highest  terms,  but  Miss  Scudamora 
was  terribly  shocked.  ''The  idea,''  she  said,  "that  she 
should  have  to  associate  with  boys  who  had  taken  a  fellow- 
creature's  life  was  terrible  to  her,  and  their  conduct  in 


30  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

resisting,  wlien  grown-up  men  had  given  up  -feke  idea  as 
hopeless,  showed  a  violent  spirit,  which,  in  boys  so  young, 
was  shocking." 

A  few  days  after  this,  as  the  boys  were  coming  from 
school,  they  passed  the  carrier's  cart,  coming  in  from 
Marlborough. 

'^  Be  you  the  young  gentlemen  at  Miss  Scudamore's  ?" 
the  man  asked.  *'  Because,  if  you  be,  I  have  got  a  parcel 
for  you." 

Tom  answered  him  that  they  were,  and  he  then  handed 
them  over  a  heavy  square  parcel.  Opening  it  after  the 
cart  had  gone  on,  the  boys,  to  their  great  delight,  found 
that  it  consisted  of  tvv^o  cases,  each  containing  a  brace  of 
very  handsome  pistols. 

''  This  is  luck,  Peter,"  Tom  said.  "  If  the  parcel  had 
been  sent  to  the  house,  aunt  would  never  have  let  us  have 
them  ;  now  we  can  take  them  in  quietly,  get  some  powder 
and  balls,  and  practice  shooting  every  day  in  some  quiet 
place.  That  will  be  capital.  Do  you  know  J  have  thought 
of  a  plan  which  will  enrage  old  Jones  horribly,  and  he  will 
never  suspect  us  ?  " 

''  No  ;  have  you,  Tom  ?    What  is  that  ?'' 

''  Look  here,  Peter.  I  can  carry  you  easily  standing  on 
my  shoulders.  If  you  get  a  very  long  cloak,  so  as  to  fall 
well  down  on  me,  no  one  would  suspect  in  the  dark  that 
there  were  two  of  us  ;  we  should  look  like  one  tremen- 
dously tall  man.  Well,  you  know,  he  goes  every  evening 
to  Dunstable's  to  sing  with  Miss  Dunstable.  They  say 
he's  making  love  to  her.  We  can  waylay  him  in  the  nar- 
row lane,  and  make  him  give  up  that  new  watch  he  has 
just  bought,  that  he's  so  proud  of.  I  heard  him  say  he 
had  given  thirty  guineas  for  it.  Of  course,  we  don't  want 
to  keep  it,  but  we  would  smash  it  up  between  a  couple  of 
big  stones,  and  send  him  all  the  pieces." 

*'  Capital,  Tom  ;  but  where  should  we  get  the  cloak  ? '' 

**  There  is  that  long  wadded  silk  cloak  of  aunt's  that 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  81 

ghe  uses  whea  she  goes  out  driving.  It  always  hangs  up 
m  the  closet  in  the  hall." 

"  But  how  are  we  to  get  in  again,  Tom  ?  I  expect  that 
he  does  not  come  back  till  half-past  nine  or  ten.  We  can 
slip  out  easily  enough  after  we  are  supposed  to  have  gone 
to  bed  ;  but  how  are  we  to  get  back  ?  " 

*'  The  only  plan,  Peter,  is  to  get  in  through  Rhoda's 
"window.  She  is  very  angry  at  that  brute  Jones  treating 
us  so  badly,  and  if  I  take  her  into  the  secret  I  feel  sure 
she  will  agree/' 

Ehoda  was  appealed  to,  and  although  at  first  she  said  it 
was  quite,  quite  impossible,  she  finally  agreed,  although 
with  much  fear  and  trembling,  to  assist  them.  First,  the 
boys  were  to  buy  some  rope  and  make  a  rope  ladder,  which 
Rhoda  was  to  take  up  to  her  room  ;  she  was  to  open  the 
window  wide  w^hen  she  went  to  bed,  but  to  pull  the  blind 
down  as  usual,  so  that  if  her  aunt  came  in  she  would  not 
notice  it.  Then,  when  she  heard  her  aunt  come  up  to  bed 
at  half-past  nine,  she  was  to  get  up  very  quietly,  drop  the 
rope  ladder  out,  fastening  it  as  they  instructed  her,  and 
then  get  into  bed  again,  and  go  to  sleep  if  she  could,  as 
the  boys  would  not  try  to  come  in  until  after  Miss  Scuda- 
more  was  asleep. 

Two  nights  after  this  the  schoolmaster  was  returning 
from  his  usual  visit  to  Mr.  Dunstable,  when,  to  his  horror, 
he  saw  a  gigantic  figure  advance  from  under  a  tree  which 
overshadowed  the  lawn,  and  heard  a  deep  voice  say,  *'  Your 
money  or  your  life  !  " 

Like  all  bullies,  the  schoolmaster  was  a  coward,  and  no 
sooner  did  he  see  this  terrible  figure,  and  his  ears  caught 
the  ominous  click  of  a  pistol  which  accompanied  the  words, 
than  his  teeth  chattered,  his  whole  figure  trembled  with 
fear,  and  he  :iell  on  his  knees,  crying,  '*  Spare  my  life  ! — 
take  all  that  I  have,  but  spare  my  life  ! " 

"  You  miserable  coward  ! ''  the  giant  said,  "  I  do  not 
want  to  take  your  wretched  life.    What  money  have  you  ?  '* 


02  TBE  YOUNG  BU0LER8. 

'*  I  have  only  two  shillings/'  he  exclaimed ;  "  I  Bwear  to 
you  that  I  have  only  two  shillings/' 

*'  What  is  the  use  of  two  shillings  to  me  ?— give  them  to 
the  first  heggar  you  see." 

"  Yes,  sir/'  the  schoolmaster  said ;  '*  I  swear  to  you  that 
I  will/' 

*'  Give  me  your  watch/* 

The  schoolmaster  took  out  his  watch,  and,  getting  upon 
his  feet,  handed  it  to  the  giant. 

"  There  now,  you  can  go ;  hut  see,"  he  added,  as  the 
schoolmaster  turned  with  great  alacrity  to  leave — ''look 
here/' 

"  Yes,  sir/' 

"  Look  here,  and  mark  my  words  well.  Don't  you  go 
to  that  house  where  you  have  been  to-night,  or  it  will  be 
the  worse  for  you.  You  are  a  wretch,  and  I  won't  see  that 
poor  little  girl  marry  you  and  be  made  miserable.  Swear 
to  me  you  will  give  her  up." 

The  schoolmaster  hesitated,  but  there  was  again  the 
ominous  click  of  the  pistol. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  swear  it,"  he  said  hastily.  ''  I  will  give  her 
np  altogether." 

**  You  had  better  keep  your  oath,"  the  giant  said,  "  for 
if  you  break  it,  if  I  hear  you  go  there  any  more — 1  shall  be 
sure  to  hear  of  it — I  will  put  an  ounce  of  lead  in  you,  if  I 
have  to  do  it  in  the  middle  of  your  school.  Do  you  hear 
me  ?    Now  you  may  go." 

Only  too  glad  to  escape,  the  schoolmaster  walked  quickly 
off,  and  in  a  moment  his  steps  could  be  heard  as  he  ran  at 
the  top  of  his  speed  down  the  lane. 

In  a  moment  the  giant  appeared  to  break  in  two,  and 
two  small  figures  stood  where  the  large  one  had  been. 

''  Capital,  Peter.  Now,  Fll  take  the  cloak,  and  you  keep 
the  pistol,  and  now  for  a  run  home — not  that  I'm  afraid  of 
that  coward  getting  up  a  pursuit.  He'll  b©  only  too  glad 
to  get  his  head  under  the  bedclothes/'  ^ 


THE  TOUNO  BUQLEB8.  88 

Ehoda  had  carried  out  her  brother's  instructions  with 
great  exactness,  and  was  in  a  great  fright  when  her  aunt 
came  in  to  see  her  in  bed,  lest  she  should  notice  that  th« 
window  was  open.  However,  the  night  was  a  quiet  one, 
and  the  curtains  fell  partly  across  the  blind,  so  that  Miss 
Scudamore  suspected  nothing,  but  Ehoda  felt  great  relief 
when  she  said  good-night,  took  the  candle,  and  left  the 
room.  She  had  had  hard  work  to  keep  herself  awake  until 
she  heard  her  aunt  come  up  to  bed  ;  and  then,  finding 
that  she  did  not  again  come  into  the  room,  she  got  up, 
fastened  one  end  of  the  rope  ladder  to  a  thick  stick  long 
enough  to  cross  two  of  the  mullions,  let  the  other  end 
down  very  quietly,  and  then  slipped  into  bed  again.  She 
did  not  awake  until  Hester  knocked  at  her  door  and  told 
her  it  was  time  to  get  up.  She  awoke  with  a  great  start, 
and  in  a  fright  at  once  ran  to  the  window.  Everything 
looked  as  usual.  The  rope  ladder  was  gone,  the  window 
was  closed,  and  Ehoda  knew  that  her  brothers  must  have 
come  in  safely. 

Great  was  the  excitement  in  Warley  next  day,  when  it 
became  known  that  the  schoolmaster  had  been  robbed  of 
his  watch  by  a  giant  fully  eight  feet  high.  This  height  of 
the  robber  was,  indeed,  received  with  much  doubt,  as  people 
thought  that  he  might  have  been  a  tall  man,  but  that  the 
eight  feet  must  have  been  exaggerated  by  the  fear  of  the 
schoolmaster. 

Two  or  three  days  afterwards  the  surprise  rose  even 
higher,  when  a  party  of  friends  who  had  assembled  at  Mr. 
Jones'  to  condole  with  him  upon  his  misfortune,  were 
startled  by  the  smashing  of  one  of  the  windows  by  a  small 
packet,  which  fell  upon  the  floor  in  their  midst. 

There  was  a  rush  to  the  door,  but  the  night  was  a  dark 
one,  and  no  one  was  to  be  seen  ;  then  they  returned  to  the 
sitting-room,  and  the  little  packet  was  opened,  and  found 
to  contain  some  watchworks  bent  and  broken,  some  pulver- 
ized glass,  and  a  battered  piece  of  metals,  which,  after  somi 


84  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

trouble,  the  schoolmaster  recognized  as  the  case  of  his 
watch.  The  head-constable  was  sent  for,  and  after  ex- 
amining the  relics  of  the  case,  he  came  to  the  same  con- 
clusion at  which  the  rest  had  already  arrived,  namely,  that 
the  watch  could  not  have  been  stolen  by  an  ordinary 
footpad,  but  by  some  personal  enemy  of  the  school- 
master's, whose  object  was  not  plunder,  but  annoyancs 
and  injury. 

To  the  population  of  Warley  this  solution  was  a  very 
agreeable  one.  The  fact  of  a  gigantic  footpad  being  in 
the  neighborhood  was  alarming  for  all,  and  nervous  people 
were  already  having  great  bolts  and  bars  placed  upon  their 
shutters  and  doors.  The  discovery,  therefore,  that  the 
object  of  this  giant  was  not  plunder,  but  only  to  gratify  a 
spite  against  the  master,  was  a  relief  to  the  whole  place. 
Every  one  was,  of  course,  anxious  to  know  who  this  secret 
foe  could  be,  and  what  crime  Mr.  Jones  could  have  com- 
mitted to  bring  such  a  tremendous  enemy  upon  him.  The 
boys  at  the  school  assumed  a  fresh  importance  in  the  eyes 
of  the  whole  place,  and  being  encouraged  now  to  tell  all 
they  knew  of  him,  they  gave  such  a  picture  of  the  life  that 
they  had  led  at  school,  that  a  general  feeling  of  disgust 
was  aroused  against  him. 

The  parents  of  one  or  two  of  the  boys  gave  notice  to  take 
their  sons  away,  but  the  rest  of  the  boys  were  boarders,  and 
were  no  better  off  than  before. 

Miss  Scudamore  was  unshaken  in  her  faith  in  Mr.  Jones 
and  considered  the  rumor  current  about  him  to  be  due 
simply  to  the  vindictive  nature  of  boys. 

''  Well,  aunt,''  Tom  said  one  day,  after  a  lecture  of  this 
sort  from  her,  ''  I  know  you  mean  to  be  kind  to  us,  but 
Peter  and  I  have  stood  it  on  that  account,  but  we  can't 
stand  it  much  longer,  and  we  shall  run  away  before  long." 

"  And  where  would  you  run  to,  nephew  ?  "  Miss  Scuda- 
more said  calmly. 

"That  is  our  affair,"  Tom  said  quite  as  coolly,  ''  only  I 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  85 

don't  like  to  do  it  without  giving  you  warning.  You  mean 
kindly,  I  know,  aunt,  but  the  way  you  are  always  going  on 
at  us  from  morning  to  night  whenever  we  are  at  home,  and 
the  way  in  which  you  allow  us  to  be  treated  by  that  tyran- 
nical brute,  is  too  much  akogether." 

Miss  Scudamore  looked  steadily  at  them. 

*'  I  am  doing,  nephew,  what  I  consider  to  be  for  your 
good.  You  are  willful,  and  violent,  and  headstrong.  It* 
is  my  duty  to  cure  you,  and  although  it  is  all  very  painful 
to  me,  at  my  time  of  life,  to  have  such  a  charge  thrusf 
upon  me,  still,  whatever  it  costs,  it  must  be  done." 

For  the  next  month  Mr.  Jones'  life  was  rendered  a  bur- 
den to  him.  The  chimney-pots  were  shut  up  with  sodi 
placed  on  them,  and  the  fireplaces  poured  volumes  of 
smoke  into  the  rooms  and  nearly  choked  him.  Night 
after  night  the  windows  of  his  bedroom  were  smashed ; 
cats  were  let  down  the  chimney;  his  water-butts  were 
found  filled  with  mud,  and  the  cord  of  the  bucket  of  his 
well  was  cut  time  after  time ;  the  flowers  in  his  garden 
were  dug  up  and  put  in  topsy-turvy.  He  himself  could 
not  stir  out  after  dark  without  being  tripped  up  by 
strings  fastened  a  few  inches  above  the  path ;  and  once, 
coming  out  of  his  door,  a  string  fastened  from  scraper  to 
scraper  brought  him  down  the  steps  with  such  violence 
that  the  bridge  of  his  nose,  which  came  on  the  edge  of  a 
step,  was  broken,  and  he  was  confined  to  his  bed  for  three 
or  four  days.  In  vain  he  tried  every  means  to  discover 
and  punish  the  authors  of  these  provocations.  A  savage 
dog,  the.  terror  of  the  neighborhood,  was  borrowed  and 
chained  up  in  the  garden,  but  was  found  poisoned  next 
morning. 

Watchmen  were  hired,  but  refused  to  stay  for  more 
than  one  night,  for  they  were  so  harassed  and  wearied  out 
that  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  haunted. 
If  they  were  on  one  side  of  the  house  a  voice  would  be 
heard  on  the  other.    After  the  first  few  attempts  they  no 


86  TEE  TOUNO  BUGLERS. 

Ic^nger  dared  venture  to  run,  for  between  each  round 
strings  were  tied  in  every  direction,  and  they  had  several 
heavy  falls,  while  as  they  were  carefully  picking  their  way 
with  their  lanterns,  stones  struck  them  from  all  quarters. 
If  one  ventured  for  a  moment  from  the  other's  side  his 
lantern  was  knocked  out,  and  his  feet  were  struck  from 
under  him  with  a  sharp  and  unexpected  blow  from  a  heavy 
cudgel  ;  and  they  were  once  appalled  by  seeing  a  gigantic 
figure  stalk  across  the  grass,  and  vanish  in  a  little 
bush. 

At  the  commencement  of  these  trials  the  schoolmaster 
had  questioned  the  boys,  one  by  one,  if  they  had  any  hand 
in  the  proceeding. 

All  denied  it.  When  it  came  to  Tom  Scudamore's  turn, 
he  said.  ^'You  never  do  believe  me,  Mr.  Jones,  so  it  is  of 
no  use  my  saying  that  I  didn't  do  it  ;  but  if  you  ask  Miss 
Scudamore,  she  will  bear  witness  that  we  were  in  bed  hours 
before,  and  that  there  are  bars  on  our  windows  through 
which  a  cat  could  hardly  get." 

The  boys  had  never  used  Rhoda's  room  after  the  first 
night's  expedition,  making  their  escape  now  by  waiting 
until  the  house  was  quiet,  and  then  slipping  along  the 
passage  to  the  spare  room,  and  thence  by  the  window,  re- 
turning in  the  same  way. 

Under  this  continued  worry,  annoyance,  and  alarm,  the 
schoolmaster  grew  thin  and  worn,  his  school  fell  off  more 
and  more  j  for  many  of  the  boys,  whose  rest  was  disturbed 
by  all  this  racket,  encouraged  by  the  example  of  the  boys 
of  the  place  who  had  already  been  taken  away,  wrote  pri- 
vately to  their  friends. 

The  result  was  that  the  parents  of  two  or  three  more 
wrote  to  say  that  their  boys  would  not  return  after  the 
holidays,  and  no  one  was  surprised  when  it  became  known 
that  Mr.  Jones  was  about  to  close  his  school  and  leave  the 
neighborhood. 

The  excitement  of  the  pranks  that  they  had  been  play- 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  87 

ing  had  enabled  the  boys  to  support  the  almost  perpetual 
scoldings  and  complaints  of  their  aunt  ;  but  school  once 
over,  and  their  enemy  driven  from  the  place,  they  made  up 
their  minds  that  they  could  no  longer  stand  it. 

One  day,  therefore,  when  Rhoda  had,  as  an  extraordinary 
concession,  been  allowed  to  go  for  a  walk  with  them,  they 
told  her  that  they  intended  to  run  away. 

Poor  Rhoda  was  greatly  distressed. 

''  You  see,  Rhoda  dear,''  Tom  said,  ''  although  we  don't 
like  leaving  you,  you  will  really  be  happier  when  we  are 
gone.  It  is  a  perpetual  worry  to  you  to  hear  aunt  going 
on,  on,  on— nagging,  nagging,  nagging  for  ever  and  ever 
at  us.  She  is  fond  of  you  and  kind  to  you,  and  you  would 
get  on  quietly  enough  without  us,  while  now  she  is  in  a 
fidget  whenever  you  are  with  us,  and  is  constantly  at  you  not 
to  learn  mischief  and  bad  ways  from  us.  Besides  you  are 
always  in  a  fright  now,  lest  we  should  get  into  some  awful 
scrape,  as  I  expect  we  should  if  we  stopped  here.  If  it 
weren't  for  you,  we  should  not  let  her  off  as  easily  as  we 
do.     K"o,  no,  Rhoda,  it  is  better  for  us  all  that  we  should 

go.'' 

Poor  Rhoda,  though  she  cried  bitterly  at  the  thought  of 

losing  her  brothers,  yet  could  not  but  allow  to  herself  that 
in  many  respects  she  should  be  more  happy  when  she  was 
freed  from  anxiety,  lest  they  should  get  into  some  scrape, 
and  when  her  aunt  w^ould  not  be  kept  in  a  state  of  con- 
tinued irritation  and  scolding.  She  felt  too  that,  although 
she  herself  could  get  on  well  enough  in  her  changed  life, 
that  it  was  very  hard  indeed  for  the  boys,  accustomed  as 
they  had  been  to  the  jolly  and  independent  life  of  a  public 
school,  and  to  be  their  own  master  during  the  holidays, 
with  their  ponies,  amusements,  and  their  freedom  to  come 
and  go  when  they  chose.  Rhoda  was  a  thoughtful 
child,  and  felt  that  nothing  that  they  could  go  through 
could  do  them  more  harm  or  make  them  more  unhappy 
than  they  now  were.     She  had  thought  it  all  over  day  after 


38  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

day,  for  she  was  sure  that  the  boys  would,  sooner  or  later 
come  to  it,  and  she  had  convinced  herself  that  it  was  better 
for  them.  Still  it  was  with  a  very  sad  heart  that  she  found 
that  the  time  had  come. 

For  some  time  she  cried  in  silence,  and  then,  drying  her 
eyes,  she  said,  trying  to  speak  bravely,  though  her  lips 
quivered. 

^'  I  shall  miss  you  dreadfully,  boys  ;  but  I  will  not  say  a 
word  to  keep  you  here,  for  I  am  sure  it  is  very,  very  bad 
for  you.  What  do  you  mean  to  do  ?  Do  you  mean  to  go 
to  sea  ?  '* 

*'  No,  Rhoda  ;  you  see  uncle  was  in  the  army,  and  used 
to  talk  to  us  about  that ;  and,  as  we  have  never  seen  the 
sea,  we  don't  care  for  it  as  some  boys  do.  !N"o,  we  shall 
try  and  go  as  soldiers." 

"  But  my  dear  Tom,  they  will  never  take  you  as  soldiers ; 
you  are  too  little. '^ 

"  Yes,  we  are  not  old  enough  to  enlist  at  present, '^  Tom 
said  ;  '^  but  we  might  go  in  as  buglers.  We  have  thought 
it  all  over,  and  have  been  paying  old  Wetherley,  who  was 
once  in  the  band  of  a  regiment,  to  teach  us  the  bugle, 
and  he  says  we  can  sound  all  the  calls  now  as  well  as  any 
bugler  going.  We  did  not  like  to  tell  you  till  we  had 
made  up  our  minds  to  go  ;  but  we  have  gone  regularly  to 
him  every  day  since  the  first  week  we  came  here.'' 

"  Then  you  won't  have  to  fight,  Tom,"  Rhoda  said  joy- 
fully. 

*'  No,"  Tom  said,  in  a  rather  dejected  tone  ;  '^  I  am 
afraid  they  won't  let  us  fight ;  still  we  shall  see  fighting, 
which  is  the  next  best  thing." 

'^I  heard  in  Warley  yesterday  that  there  will  be  a  move- 
ment of  the  army  in  Spain  soon,  and  that  some  more  troops 
will  be  sent  out,  and  we  shall  try  and  get  into  a  regiment 
that  is  going." 

They  talked  very  long  and  earnestly  on  their  plans,  and 
vera  so  engrossed  that  they  quite  forgot  how  time  went. 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  39 

«ifd  got  in  late  for  tea,  and  were  terribly  scolded  in  con- 
sequence, ^'or  once  none  of  them  cared  for  the  storm  ; 
the  boys  exulted  over  the  thought  that  it  would  be  the 
last  scolding  they  would  have  to  suffer  ;  and  Rhoda  had 
difficulty  in  gasping  down  her  tears  at  the  thought  that  it 
was  the  last  meal  that  she  would  take  with  them,  for  they 
had  settled  tha-t  ^hey  would  start  that  very  night. 


4i)  TEE  YOUNG  BUQLSBSk 


CHAPTER  in. 


ENLISTED. 


It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night  when  the  boys,  after  a 
sad  farewell  from  Rhoda,  let  themselves  down  from  the 
window,  and  started  upon  their  journey.  Each  carried  a 
bundle  on  a  stick  ;  each  bundle  contained  a  suit  of  clothes, 
a  few  shirts  and  stockings,  a  pair  of  shoes,  and  a  pistol. 
The  other  pistols  were  carried  loaded  inside  their  jackets, 
for  there  was  no  saying  whom  they  might  meet  upon  the 
road.  They  had  put  on  the  oldest  suit  of  clothes  they  pos- 
sessed, so  as  to  attract  as  little  attention  as  possible  by  the 
way.  After  they  had  once  recovered  from  their  parting 
with  Rhoda  their  spirits  rose,  and  they  tramped  along 
lightly  and  cheerfully.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  when  they 
started,  and  through  the  night  they  did  not  meet  a  single 
person.  Towards  morning  they  got  under  a  haystack  near 
the  road,  and  slept  for  some  hours ;  then  they  walked 
steadily  on  until  they  had  done  twenty  miles  since  their 
start.  They  went  into  a  small  inn,  and  had  some  break- 
fast, and  then  purchasing  some  bread  and  cold  ham,  went 
on  through  the  town,  and  leaving  the  London  road,  followed 
that  leading  to  Portsmouth,  and  after  a  mile  or  two  again 
took  up  their  quarters  until  evening,  in  a  haystack. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  give  the  details  of  the  journey  to 
Portsmouth.  After  the  first  two  days'  tramp,  having  no 
longer  any  fear  of  the  pursuit,  which,  no  doubt,  had  been 
made  for  them  when  first  missed,  they  walked  by  day,  and 
slept  at  night  in  sheds,  or  under  haystacks,  as  they  were 
afraid  of  being  questioned  and  perhaps  stopped  at  inns. 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS.  41 

They  walked  only  short  distances  now,  for  the  first  night's 
long  journey  had  galled  their  feet,  and,  as  Tom  said,  they 
were  not  pressed  for  time,  and  did  not  want  to  arrive  at 
Portsmouth  like  two  limping  tramps.  Walking,  therefore, 
only  twelve  miles  a  day  after  the  first  two  days,  they  arrived 
BX  Portsmouth  fresh  and  in  high  spirits.  They  had  met 
with  no  adventures  upon  the  road,  except  that  upon  one 
occasion  two  tramps  had  attempted  to  seize  their  bundles, 
but  the  production  of  the  pistols,  and  the  evident  deter- 
mination of  the  boys  to  use  them  if  necessary,  made  the  meu 
abandon  their  intention  and  make  off,  with  much  bad 
language  and  many  threats,  at  which  the  boys  laughed  dis- 
dainfully. 

Arrived  at  Portsmouth,  their  first  care  was  to  find  a  quiet 
little  inn,  where  they  could  put  up.  This  they  had  little 
difficulty  in  doing,  for  Portsmouth  abounded  with  public- 
houses,  and  people  were  so  much  accustomed  to  young 
fellows  tramping  in  with  their  bundles,  to  join  their  ships, 
that  their  appearance  excited  no  curiosity  whatever.  Tom 
looked  older  than  he  really  was,  although  not  tall  for  his 
age,  while  Peter,  if  anything,  overtopped  his  brother,  but 
was  slighter,  and  looked  fully  two  years  younger.  Ee- 
freshed  by  a  long  night^s  sleep  between  sheets,  they  started 
out  after  breakfast  to  see  the  town,  and  were  greatly  im- 
pressed and  delighted  by  the  bustle  of  the  streets,  full  of 
soldiers  and  sailors,  and  still  more  by  the  fortifications  and 
the  numerous  ships  of  war  lying  in  the  harbor,  or  out  at 
Spithead.  A  large  fleet  of  merchantmen  was  lying  off  at 
anchor,  waiting  for  a  convoy,  and  a  perfect  fleet  of  little 
wlierries  was  plying  backwards  and  forwards  between  the 
vessels  and  the  shore. 

''  It  makes  one  almost  wish  to  be  a  sailor,*^  Peter  said, 
as  they  sat  upon  the  Southsea  beach,  and  looked  out  at  the 
animated  ocean. 

"  It  does,  Peter  ;  and  if  it  had  been  ten  years  back,  iu- 
etead  of  at  present,  I  should  have  been  ready  enough  to 


42  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

change  onr  plans.  But  what  is  the  use  of  going  to  sea 
now  ?  The  French  and  Spanish  navies  skulk  in  harbor, 
and  the  first  time  oar  fellows  get  them  out  they  will  be  sure 
to  smash  them  altogether,  and  then  there  is  an  end  to  all 
fighting.  No,  Peter,  it  looks  tempting,  I  grant,  but  we 
shall  see  ten  times  as  much  with  the  army.  We  must  go 
and  settle  the  thing  to-morrow.  There  is  lio  time  to 
be  lost  if  the  expedition  starts  in  a  fortnight  or  three 
"weeks.'* 

Returning  into  the  town,  the  boys  were  greatly  amused 
at  seeing  a  sailor's  wedding.  Four  carriages  and  pair  drove 
along  ;  inside  were  women,  while  four  sailors  sat  on  each 
roof,  waving  their  hats  to  the  passers-by,  and  refreshing 
themselves  by  repeated  pulls  at  some  black  bottles,  with 
which  they  were  well  supplied.  Making  inquiries,  the 
boys  found  that  the  men  belonged  to  a  fine  frigate  which 
had  come  in  a  day  or  two  before,  with  several  prizes. 

The  next  morning  they  went  down  to  the  barracks. 
Several  non-commissioned  officers,  with  bunches  of  gay 
ribbons  in  their  caps,  were  standing  about.  Outside  the 
gates  were  some  boards,  with  notices,  '*  Active  young  fel- 
lows required.  Good  pay,  plenty  of  prize-money,  and 
chance^  of  promotion  !  " 

The  boys  read  several  of  these  notices,  which  differed 
only  from  each  other  in  the  name  of  the  regiment ;  and 
then  Tom  gave  an  exclamation  of  satisfaction  as  he  glanced 
at  a  note  at  the  foot  of  one  of  them,  '^  Two  or  three  active 
lads  wanted  as  buglers.'* 

"  There  we  are,  Peter  ;  and,  oh,  what  luck  !  it  is  Uncle 
Peter's  regiment !  Look  here,  Peter,"  he  said,  after  a 
pause,  *'  we  won't  say  anything  about  being  his  nephews, 
unless  there  is  no  other  way  of  getting  taken  ;  for  if  we 
do  it  won't  be  nice.  We  shall  be  taken  notice  of,  and  not 
treated  like  other  fellows,  and  that  will  cause  all  sorts  of 
ill-feeling  and  jealousy,  and  rows.  It  will  be  quite  time 
to  say  who  we  are  when  we  have  done  something  to  show 


^  THE  TOUNO  BUGLER 8.  48 

that  we  shan't  do  discredit  to  him.  You  see  it  isn't  mnoh 
in  our  favor  that  we  are  here  as  two  runaway  boys.  If 
we  were  older  we  could  go  as  volunteers,  but  of  course  we 
are  too  young  for  that/' 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  in  those  days  it  was  by  no 
means  unusual  for  young  men  who  had  not  sufficient  inter- 
est to  get  commissions  to  obtain  permission  to  accompany 
a  regiment  as  volunteers.  They  paid  their  own  expenses, 
and  lived  with  the  officers,  but  did  duty  as  private  soldiers. 
If  they  distinguished  themselves,  they  obtained  commis- 
sions to  fill  up  vacancies  caused  in  action. 

*'  There  is  our  sergeant,  Tom ;   let's  get  it  over  at 

once." 

"  If  you  please,"  Tom  said,  as  they  went  up  to  the  ser- 
geant, "  are  you  the  recruiting  sergeant  of  the  Norfolk 
Rangers  ?  " 

''  By  Jove,  Summers,  yon  are  in  luck  to-day,"  laughed 
one  of  the  other  sergeants ;  ''  here  are  two  valuable  recruits 
for  the  Rangers.  The  Mounseers  will  have  no  chance  with 
the  regiment  with  such  giants  as  those  in  it.  Come,  my 
fine  fellows,  let  me  persuade  you  to  join  the  15th.  Such 
little  bantams  as  you  are  would  be  thrown  away  upon  the 
Rangers." 

There  was  a  shout  of  laughter  from  the  other  non-com- 
missioned officers. 

Tom  was  too  much  accustomed  to  chaffing  bargees  at 
Eton  to  be  put  out  of  countenance. 

*'We  maybe  bantams/'  he  said,  ''but  I  have  seen  a 
bantam  lick  a  big  dunghill  cock  many  a  time.  Fine  feath- 
ers don't  always  make  fine  birds,  my  man." 

''  Well  answered,  young  one,"  the  sergeant  of  the  Rang- 
ers said,  while  there  was  a  general  laugh  among  the  others, 
for  the  sergeant  of  the  15th  was  not  a  favorite. 

'^  You  think  yourself  sharp,  youngster,"  he  said  angrily. 
''You  want  a  licking,  you  do;  and  if  you  were  in  the 
15th,  you'd  get  it  pretty  quickly."  i 


44  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

"Oh  1  I  "beg  your  pardon/'  Tom  said  gravely  ;  '' I  did 
not  know  that  the  15th  were  famous  for  thrashing  boys. 
Thank  you  ;  when  I  enlist  it  shall  be  in  a  regiment  where 
men  hit  fellows  their  own  size." 

There  was  a  shout  of  laughter,  and  the  sergeant,  enraged, 
stepped  forward,  and  gave  Tom  a  swinging  box  on  the 
ear. 

There  was  a  cry  of  "  shame  "  from  the  others  ;  but  be- 
fore any  of  them  could  interfere,  Tom  suddenly  stooped, 
caught  the  sergeant  by  the  bottom  of  the  trousers,  and  in 
an  instant  he  fell  on  his  back  with  a  crash. 

For  a  moment  he  was  slightly  stunned,  and  then,  re- 
gaining his  feet,  he  was  about  to  rush  at  Tom,  when  the 
others  threw  themselves  in  between  them,  and  said  he 
should  not  touch  the  boy.  He  struck  him  first,  and  thf^ 
boy  had  only  given  him  what  served  him  right. 

The  sergeant  was  furious,  and  an  angry  quarrel  wag* 
going  on,  when  an  officer  of  the  Rangers  came  suddenly 
out  of'barrack. 

"  Hullo,  Summers,  what  is  all  this  about  ?  I  am  sur- 
prised at  you.  A  lot  of  non-commissioned  officers,  just  in 
front  of  the  brrrack  gates,  quarreling  like  drunken  sailors 
in  a  pothouse.     What  does  it  all  mean  ?  " 

*'  The  fact  is  this.  Captain  Manley,''  the  sergeant  said, 
saluting,  ^'  these  two  lads  came  up  to  speak  to  me,  when 
Sergeant  Billow  chaffed  them.  The  lad  gave  the  sergeant 
as  good  as  he  got,  and  the  sergeant  lost  his  temper,  and 
hit  him  a  box  on  the  ear,  and  in  a  moment  the  young  one 
tripped  him  up,  and  pretty  nigh  stunned  him ;  when  he 
got  up  he  was  going  at  the  boy,  and,  of  course,  we  wouldn't 
have  it." 

''  Quite  right,"  Captain  Manley  said.  "  Sergeant  Billow, 
I  shall  forward  a  report  to  your  regiment.  Chaffing  peo- 
ple in  the  street,  and  then  losing  your  temper,  striking  a 
boy,  and  causing  a  disturbance.  Now,  sergeant,"  he  went 
on,  as  the  others  moved  away,  "  do  you  know  those  boys  ?  '* 


THE  TOUNO  BUGLERS.  45 

^'No,  sir  ;  they  are  strangers  to  me." 

"  Do  you  want  to  see  the  sergeant  privately,  lads,  or  on 
something  connected  with  the  regiment  ? '' 

'^  I  see  that  you  have  vacancies  for  buglers,  sir,''  Tom 
said,  *'  and  my  brother  and  myself  want  to  enlist  if  you 
will  take  us/' 

Captain  Manley  smiled.  ^'  You  young  scamps,  you  have 
got  '  runaway  from  home '  as  plainly  on  your  faces  as  if  it 
was  printed  there.  If  we  were  to  enlist  you,  we  should  be 
having  your  friends  here  after  you  to-morrow,  and  get  into 
a  scrape  for  taking  you." 

*'  We  have  no  friends  who  will  interfere  with  us,  sir,  I 
can  give  you  my  word  of  honor  as  a  gentleman."  Captain 
Manley  laughed.  *'I  mean,"  Tom  said  confused,  *^my 
word  of  honor,  as — as  an  intending  bugler." 

'^^  Indeed  we  have  no  one  to  interfere  with  us  in  any  way, 
sir,"  Peter  put  in  earnestly.  *'  We  wouldn't  tell  a  lie  even 
to  enlist  in  the  Eangers." 

Captain  Manley  was  struck  by  the  earnestness  of  the 
boys'  faces,  and  after  a  pause  he  said  to  the  sergeant, — 

*'That  will  do,  Summers;  I  will  take  these  lads  up  to 
my  quarters  and  speak  to  them." 

Then,  motioning  to  the  boys  to  follow  him,  he  re-entered 
the  barracks,  and  led  the  way  up  to  his  quarters. 

'^  Sit  down,"  he  said,  when  they  had  entered  his  room. 
*'  Now,  boys,  this  is  a  foolish  freak  upon  your  part,  which 
you  will  regret  some  day.  Of  course  you  have  run  away 
from  school." 

*^  No,  sir,  we  have  run  away  from  home,"  Tom  said. 

''So  much  the  worse,"  Captain  Manley  said  gravely. 
''  Tell  me  frankly,  why  did  you  do  so  ?  No  unkindnesa 
at  home  can  excuse  boys  from  running  away  from  their 
parents." 

'^  We  have  none,  sir,"  Tom  said.  '^  We  have  lost  them 
both — our  mother  many  years  ago,  our  father  six  months. 
Our  only  living  relation,  except  a  younger  sister,  is  an  aunt. 


46  THE  YOUNG  BU0LER8, 

who  considers  ns  as  nuisances,  and  who,  although  meaning 
to  do  her  duty,  simply  drives  us  out  of  our  minds/' 

Captain  Manley  could  not  resist  a  smile.  "  Do  you  not 
go  to  school  ?  " 

*'  We  did  go  to  a  school  near,  hut  unfortunately  it  is 
broken  up/' 

Captain  Manley  caught  a  little  look  of  amusement  be- 
tween the  boys.  ^'  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  you  had 
something  to  do  with  its  breaking  up,''  he  said  with  a  laugh. 
*'  But  to  return  to  your  coming  here.  There  is  certainly 
less  reason  against  your  joining  than  I  thought  at  first,  but 
you  are  too  young." 

**  We  are  both  strong,  and  are  good  walkers,"  Tom  said. 

**  But  you  cannot  be  much  over  fifteen,"  Captain  Manley 
said,  ^'  and  your  brother  is  younger." 

**  We  are  accustomed  to  strong  exercise,  sir,  and  can 
thrash  most  fellows  of  our  own  size." 

*'Very  likely,"  Captain  Manley  said,  ''but  we  can't 
take  that  into  consideration.  You  are  certainly  young  for 
buglers  for  service  work ;  however,  I  will  go  across  with 
you  to  the  orderly-room,  and  hear  what  the  colonel  says.'* 

Crossing  the  barrack-yard,  they  found  the  colonel  was 
in  and  disengaged. 

''Colonel  Tritton,"  Captain  Manley  said,  "these  lads 
want  to  enlist  as  buglers." 

The  colonel  looked  up  and  smiled.  "  They  look  regular 
young  pickles,"  he  said.  "  I  suppose  they  have  run  away 
from  school." 

"Not  from  school,  colonel.  They  have  lost  both 
parents,  and  live  with  an  aunt,  with  whom  they  don't  get 
on  well.  There  does  not  seem  to  be  much  chance  of  their 
being  claimed." 

"  You  are  full  young,"  the  colonel  said,  "  and  I  think 
you  will  be  sorry,  boys,  for  the  step  you  want  to  take." 

"  I  don't  think  so,  sir,"  Tom  said. 

<'0f  course,  you  don't  at  present/'  the  colonel  said. 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS,  47 

''  However,  that  is  your  business.  Mind,  yon  will  have  a 
rough  time  of  it ;  you  will  have  to  fight  your  way,  you 
know/* 

"Fll  back  them  to  hold  their  own,"  Captain  Manley 
said,  laughing.  *'  When  I  went  out  at  the  barrack-gate 
just  now  there  was  a  row  among  a  lot  of  recruiting  ser- 
geants, and  when  I  went  up  to  put  a  stop  to  it,  I  found 
that  a  fellow  of  the  15th  had  chaffed  these  boys  when  they 
went  up  to  speak  to  Summers,  and  that  they  had  got  the 
best  of  it  in  that  line  ;  and  the  fellow  having  lost  his  temper 
and  struck  one  of  them,  he  found  himself  on  his  back  on 
the  pavement.  The  boy  had  tripped  him  up  in  an  in- 
stant." 

The  colonel  laughed,  and  then  said  suddenly  and  sharply 
to  Peter,  "  Where  did  you  learn  that  trick,  youngster  ?" 

''  At  Eton,"  Peter  answered  promptly,  and  then  colored 
np  hotly  at  his  brother's  reproachful  glance. 

"  Oh,  ho  !  At  Eton,  young  gentlemen,  eh  ! "  the  colonel 
said.  "  That  alters  the  matter.  If  you  were  at  Eton  your 
family  must  be  people  of  property,  and  I  can't  let  you  do 
such  a  foolish  thing  as  enlist  as  buglers." 

''Our  father  lost  all  his  money  suddenly,  owing  to  a 
blackguard  he  trusted  cheating  him.  He  found  it  out, 
and  it  killed  him,"  Tom  said  quietly. 

The  colonel  saw  he  was  speaking  the  truth.  ''Well, 
well,"  he  said  kindly,  "  we  must  see  what  we  can  do  for 
you,  boys.  They  are  young,  Manley,  but  that  will  improve, 
and  by  the  time  that  they  have  been  a  year  at  the  dep6t — " 

"  Oh,  if  you  please,  colonel,"  Tom  said,  "  we  want  to  go 
on  foreign  service,  and  it's  knowing  that  your  regiment 
was  under  orders  for  foreign  service  we  came  to  it." 

"  Impossible  !"  the  colonel  said  shortly. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  that,  sir,"  Tom  said  respectfully, 
*'  for  we  would  rather  belong  to  this  regiment  than  any  in 
the  service  ;  but  if  you  will  not  let  us  go  with  it  we  must 
try  another,'* 


48  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEES, 

''Why  would  you  rather  belong  to  us  than  to  any 
other  ?  "  the  colonel  asked,  as  the  boys  turned  to  leave  the 
room. 

"  I  had  rather  not  say,  sir,^'  Tom  said.  "  We  have  a 
reason,  and  a  very  good  one,  but  it  is  not  one  we  should 
like  to  tell/' 

The  colonel  was  silent  for  a  minute.  He  was  struck  with 
the  boys'  appearance  and  manner,  and  was  sorry  at  the 
thought  of  losing  them,  partly  from  interest  in  themselves, 
partly  because  the  sea  service  was  generally  so  much  more 
attractive  to  boys,  that  it  was  not  easy  to  get  them  to  en- 
list as  buglers  and  drummers. 

"  You  see,  lads,  I  should  really  like  to  take  you,  but  we 
shall  be  starting  in  a  fortnight,  and  it  would  be  altogether 
impossible  for  you  to  learn  to  sound  the  bugle,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  learning  the  calls,  by  that  time." 

"We  can't  play  well,  sir,"  Tom  answered,  his  spirits  ris- 
ing again,  "  but  we  have  practiced  for  some  time,  and  know 
a  good  many  of  the  calls." 

"  Oh,  indeed  ! "  the  colonel  said,  pleased  ;  ''  that  alters 
the  case.  Well,  lads,  I  should  like  to  take  you  with  the 
regiment,  for  you  look  straightforward,  sharp  young  fel- 
lows. So  I  will  enlist  you.  Work  hard  for  the  next  fort- 
night, and  if  I  hear  a  favorable  report  of  you  by  that  time, 
you  shall  go." 

''Thank  you  very  much,"  the  boys  said  warmly,  de- 
lighted to  find  their  hopes  realized. 

"  What  are  your  names  ?  "  the  colonel  asked. 

"  Tom  and  Peter,"  Tom  answered. 

"  Tom  and  Peter  what  ?  "  the  colonel  said. 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other.  The  fact  that  they 
Would  of  course  be  asked  their  names  had  never  occurred 
fco  them,  and  they  not  had  therefore  consulted  whether  to 
give  their  own  or  another  name. 

"  Come,  boys,"  Colonel  Tritton  said  good-temperedly, 
«  never  be  ashamed  of  your  names  ;  don't  sail  under  false 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  49 

colors,  lads.  I  am  sure  you  will  do  nothing  to  disgrace 
your  names/' 

Tom  looked  at  Peter,  and  saw  that  he  agreed  to  give  their 
real  names,  so  he  said,  "  Tom  and  Peter  Scudamore." 

'/  Peter  Scudamore  !  Why,  Manley,  these  hoys  must  he 
relations  of  the  dear  old  colonel.  That  explains  why  they 
chose  the  regiment.  ISTow,  boys,  what  relation  was  he  of 
yours  ?  " 

'^  I  do  not  admit  that  he  was  a  relation  at  all,  colonel," 
Tom  said  gravely,  '^  and  I  hope  that  you  will  not  ask  the 
question.  Supposing  that  he  had  been  a  relation  of  ours, 
we  should  not  wish  it  to  be  known.  In  the  first  place,  it 
would  not  be  altogether  creditable  to  his  memory  that  rela- 
tions of  his  should  be  serving  as  buglers  in  his  old  regi- 
ment ;  and  in  the  second  place,  it  might  be  that,  from  a 
kindness  towards  him,  some  of  the  officers  might,  perhaps, 
treat  us  differently  to  other  boys,  v/hich  would  make  our 
position  more  difficult  by  exciting  jealousy  among  others. 
Should  there  be  any  relation  between  him  and  us,  it  will 
be  time  enough  for  us  to  claim  it  when  we  have  shown  our- 
selves worthy  of  it." 

*'  Well  said,  boys,"  the  officers  both  exclaimed.  "  You 
are  quite  right,"  the  colonel  went  on,  "  and  I  respect  your 
motive  for  keeping  silence.  What  you  say  about  jealousy 
which  might  arise  is  very  sensible  and  true.  At  the  same 
time,  I  will  promise  you  that  I  will 'keep  my  eye  upon  you, 
and  that  if  an  opportunity  should  occur  in  which  I  can 
give  you  a  chance  of  showing  that  there  is  more  in  you 
than  in  other  boys,  be  sure  you  shall  have  the  chance." 

*'  Thank  you  very  much  indeed,  colonel,"  both  boys  ex- 
claimed. 

''Now,  Manley,  I  shall  be  obliged  if  you  will  take  them 
to  the  adjutant,  and  tell  him  to  swear  them  in  and  attest 
them  in  regular  form  ;  the  surgeon  will,  of  course,  examine 
them.  Please  tell  the  quartermaster  to  get  their  uniforms 
made  without  loss  of  time  ;  and  give  a  hint  to  the  bugle* 


50  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS. 

major  that  I  should  be  pleased  if  he  will  pay  extra  atten* 
tion  to  them,  and  push  them  on  as  fast  as  possible/' 

Captain  Manley  carried  ouib  these  instructions,  the  boys 
■were  duly  examined  by  the  surgeon  and  passed,  and  in 
half  an  hour  became  His  Majesty's  servants. 

*'  Now,  boys,"  Captain  Manley  said  as  he  crossed  with 
them  to  the  quarters  of  the  bandmaster,  ''  you  will  have 
rather  a  difficult  course  to  steer,  but  I  have  no  doubt  you 
will  get  through  it  with  credit.  This  is  something  like  a 
school,  and  you  will  have  to  fight  before  you  find  your  place. 
Don't  be  in  a  hurry  to  begin  ;  take  all  good-natured  chaff 
good-naturedly  ;  resent  any  attempt  at  bullying.  I  have  no 
doubt  you  will  be  popular,  and  it  is  well  that  you  should  be 
so,  for  then  there  will  be  no  jealousy  if  your  luck  seems  better 
than  that  of  others.  They  will,  of  course,  know  that  you 
are  differently  born  and  educated  to  themselves,  but  they 
will  not  like  you  any  the  worse  for  that,  if  they  find  that 
you  do  not  try  to  keep  aloof  from  them  or  give  yourselves 
airs.  And  look  here,  boys,  play  any  tricks  you  like  with 
the  men,  but  don't  do  it  with  the  non-commissioned 
officers.  There  is  nothing  they  hate  so  much  as  impu- 
dence from  the  boys,  and  they  have  it  in  their  power  to  do 
you  a  great  deal  of  good  or  of  harm.  You  will  not  have 
much  to  do  with  the  bandmaster.  Only  a  portion  of  the 
band  accompanies  us,  and  even  that  will  be  broken  up 
when  we  once  enter  upon  active  campaigning.  Several  of 
the  company  buglers  have  either  left  lately,  or  have  got 
their  stripes  and  given  up  their  bugles,  and  I  do  not 
fancy  that  their  places  will  be  filled  up  before  we  get  out 
there.  Now,  your  great  object  will  be  to  get  two  of  these 
vacancies.  I  am  afraid  you  are  too  young,  still  there  will 
be  plenty  more  vacancies  after  we  are  once  in  the  field,  for 
a  bullet  has  no  respect  for  buglers  ;  and  you  see  the  better 
you  behave  the  better  your  chance  of  being  chosen." 

'*  What  is  the  difference  exactly,  sir  f  "  Tom  asked. 

**The  company  bugler  ranks  on  the  strength  of  the  com* 


THE  YOUNO  BUGLERS.  Si 

pany,  messes,  marches,  and  goes  into  action  with  them ; 
the  other  buglers  merely  form  part  of  the  band,  are  nnder 
the  bandmaster,  play  at  the  head  of  the  regiment  on  its 
march,  and  help  in  the  hospitals  during  a  battle/' 

*'  Macpherson,''  he  said  as  he  entered  the  bandmaster's 
quarters,  where  a  number  of  men  and  a  few  lads  were 
practicing,  ''  I  have  brought  you  two  lads  who  have  entered 
a£  buglers/' 

The  bandmaster  was  a  Scotchman — a  stiff-looking,  elderly 
mauo 

'^Weel,  Captain  Manley,  I'm  wanting  boys,  but  they 
look  vera  young,  and  I  misdoubt  they  had  better  have 
been  at  school  than  here.  However,  1^11  do  my  best  with 
them  ;  they  look  smart  lads,  and  we  shall  have  plenty  of 
time  at  the  depot  to  get  them  into  shape." 

*'  Lots  of  time,  Macpherson,  lots  of  time.  They  say 
they  know  a  few  calls  on  the  bugle,  so  perhaps  they  had 
better  stick  to  the  calls  at  present ;  you  will  have  plenty 
of  time  to  begin  with  them  regularly  with  the  notes  when 
all  the  bustle  is  over." 

*'  Eh,  ye  know  the  calls,  boys  ?  Hardy  and  Graves,  give 
them  your  bugles,  and  let  us  hear  them.  Now  for  tha 
advance." 

Tom  and  Peter  felt  very  nervous,  but  they  had  really 
practiced  hard  for  an  hour  a  day  for  the  last  four  months, 
and  could  play  all  the  calls  they  knew  steadily  and  well. 
The  bandmaster  made  no  remark  until  they  had  sounded 
some  half  a  dozen  calls  as  he  named  them,  and  then  he 
said,  '^The  lads  have  a  vera  gude  idea  of  it.  Captain 
Manley.  They  are  steadier  and  clearer  than  mony  a  one 
of  the  boys  already.  Will  ye  begin  at  once,  lads,  or  will 
ye  wait  till  ye  get  your  uniform  ?  " 

*'  We  had  rather  begin  at  once,"  the  boys  answered  to- 
gether. 

'"  Vera  gude.  Hardy,  take  two  bugles  out  of  the  chest, 
and  then  take  these  lads — What's  your  name,  boys  ?    Eh  ? 


62  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

Scudamore  ?  A  vera  gude  name — take  them  over  to  Cor- 
poral Skinner,  he  will  be  practicing  with  the  others  on  the 
ramp." 

With  a  word  of  grateful  thanks  to  Captain  Manley  as  he 
went  out  before  them,  the  boys  followed  their  new  guide 
out  to  the  ramparts.  A  guide  was  hardly  necessary,  for  aa 
incessant  bugling  betokened  the  place,  where,  in  one  of  the 
bastions  behind  the  barracks,  seven  or  eight  buglers  were 
fiounding  the  various  calls  under  the  direction  of  Corporal 
Skinner. 

The  corporal  was  a  man  of  few  words,  for  he  merely 
nodded  when  the  boy — who  had  not  opened  his  lips  on  the 
way,  indeed,  he  was  too  busy  wondering  who  these  young 
swells  were,  and  what  they  had  run  away  for,  to  say  a  word 
— gave  the  bandmaster's  message  to  the  effect  that  the  new- 
comers knew  some  of  the  calls  and  were  to  be  under  his 
tuition  for  the  present,  pointed  to  them  where  to  stand, 
and  in  another  minute  Tom  and  Peter  were  hard  at  work 
adding  to  the  deafening  din.  After  half  an  hour's  prac- 
tice they  were  pleased  at  seeing  Captain  Manley  stroll  up 
and  call  their  instructor  aside,  and  they  felt  sure  that  he 
was  speaking  to  him  of  them.  This  was  so,  for  the  officer 
was  carrying  out  the  instructions  he  had  received  from 
Colonel  Tritton. 

'^  Corporal,"  he  said,  ^'I  want  to  say  a  word  to  you  about 
those  boys  who  have  just  joined.  They  seem  to  have  a 
fair  idea  of  the  calls." 

^  '*  Yes,  sir,  they  only  know  a  few,  but  those  they  do  know 
they  can  sound  as  well  as  any  of  them." 

'^  That  is  right,  corporal.  Now  look  here,  what  I  am 
going  to  say  is  not  to  go  farther,  you  understand." 

''Yes,  sir,  I  will  keep  my  mouth  shut." 

''  Very  well.  You  can  see  the  lads  are  not  like  most  of 
our  band  boys.  They  are  a  gentleman's  sons  who  have 
got  into  some  scrape  or  other  and  run  away  from  schooL^ 

*'  I  was  thinking  as  much,  sir/' 


tBB  TOVNQ  BUOLERd,  5S 


tt 


The  colonel  believes  that  he  knows  their  family. 
Skinner ;  but  of  course  that  will  not  make  any  difference 
in  regard  to  them.  Still  he  would  be  pleased,  I  know,  if 
they  could  sound  the  calls  well  enough  to  go  with  the  regi- 
ment. They  are  most  anxious  to  learn.  Now  I  shall  be 
glad  if  you  can  get  them  up  to  the  mark.  It  will,  of 
course,  entail  a  lot  of  extra  trouble  upon  you,  but  if  you 
can  get  them  fit  in  time,  I  will  pay  you  a  couple  of  guineas 
for  your  extra  time.'* 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  the  corporal  saluted.  ^'I  think  I 
can  manage  it — at  any  rate  if  I  don't  it  won't  be  for  want 
of  trying." 

"Who  are  those  nice-looking  lads  I  saw  with  you, 
Manley  ? "  Major  James  asked  as  the  captain  came  into 
the  messroom  to  lunch. 

"Those  are  two  buglers  in  his  Majesty's  Norfolk 
Eangers." 

There  was  a  general  laugh. 

"  No,  but  really,  Manley,  who  are  they  ?  I  was  quite 
struck  with  them  ;  good  style  of  boys." 

"  It  is  a  fact,  major.  Harding  will  tell  you  so,"  and  he 
nodded  to  the  adjutant. 

"Yes,  Manley  is  saying  the  thing  that's  right,"  the 
adjutant  answered.  "  The  doctor  passed  them,  and  I  swore 
them  in." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  it,"  the  major  said.  "  There  were  three 
or  four  of  us  standing  on  the  mess-room  steps  and  we  all 
noticed  them.  They  were  gentlemen,  if  I  ever  saw  one, 
and  a  hard  life  they  will  have  of  it  with  the  band  boys. 
However,  they  are  not  likely  to  stay  there.  They  have  run 
away  from  school,  of  course,  and  will  be  claimed,  I  wonder 
you  enlisted  them." 

"The  colonel's  orders,  major,"  the  adjutant  said, 
"  Manley  took  them  to  him,  I  believe,  and  then  brought 
them  to  me." 

"  I  don't  think  you  need  feel  anxious  about  them  among 


g4  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

the  boys,  major/'  Captain  Manley  said.  ''I  fancy  they 
can  hold  their  own,  I  found  them  outside  the  gate  where 
a  row  was  going  on  among  some  of  the  recruiting  ser- 
geants,  and  one  of  those  boys  had  just  tripped  up  a  ser- 
geant of  the  15th  and  nearly  broken  his  head/' 

There  was  a  general  laugh. 

'^  They  are  quite  interesting,  these  prodigies  of  yours, 
Manley.  How  did  the  boy  do  it  ?  I  should  not  have 
thought  him  strong  enough  to  have  thrown  a  man  off  his 
balance. '* 

*'  I  asked  Summers  about  it  afterwards, ''  Captain  Man- 
ley  said,  "  the  fellow  gave  one  of  the  boys  a  box  on  the 
ear,  and  in  an  instant  the  boy  stooped,  caught  his  foot  and 
pulled  it  forward  and  up.  The  thing  was  done  in  a  mo- 
ment, and  the  sergeant  was  on  his  back  before  he  knew 
what^s  what." 

*'  By  Jove,"  a  young  ensign  said,  ''  I  have  seen  that 
trick  done  at  Eton." 

''  That  is  just  where  the  boy  said  he  learnt  it,"  Captain 
Manley  said.  '^  The  colonel  asked  him  suddenly,  and  it 
slipped  out." 

*'  If  they're  Etonians,  I  ought  to  know  them,"  the  en- 
sign said.  *'  I  only  left  six  months  ago.  What  are  their 
names  ?  " 

*^  Their  name  is  Scudamore." 

^'  By  Jove,  they  were  in  the  same  house  with  me.  Un- 
commonly sharp  little  fellows,  and  up  to  no  end  of  mis- 
chief. It  was  always  believed,  though  no  one  could  prove 
it,  that  they  were  the  boys  who  nearly  suffocated  the 
bargee." 

There  was  a  roar  of  laughter, 

**Tell  us  all  about,  Carruthers." 

*'  Well,  there  v^as  not  very  much  known  about  it.  It 
seems  the  fellow  purposely  upset  a  boat  with  four  or  fiv<e 
of  our  fellows  in  it,  and  that  night  a  dozen  lighted  crack- 
ers were  thrown  down  into  the  little  cabin  where  the  fellow 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  56 

was  asleep ;  the  hatch  was  fastened  and  he  was  sent  drift- 
ing down  stream  with  the  crackers  exploding  all  about 
him.  The  smoke  nearly  suffocated  the  fellow,  I  believe 
There  was  a  tremendous  row  about  it,  but  they  could  not 
bring  it  home  to  any  one.  We  always  put  it  down  to  the 
Scudamores,  though  they  never  would  own  to  it ;  but  they 
were  the  only  fellows  in  the  boat  who  would  have  done  it, 
and  they  were  always  up  to  mischief.^ 

**  But  what  makes  them  come  here  as  buglers  ? "  the 
major  asked. 

"  Their  father  was  a  banker,  I  believe,  down  in  the 
Eastern  Counties  somewhere.  He  died  suddenly  in  the 
middle  of  the  half  before  I  left,  and  they  went  away  to  the 
funeral  and  never  came  back  again.'' 

"  The  fact  is,"  Captain  Manley  said,  '^  I  fancy  by  what 
they  say,  though  they  did  not  mention  their  father  was  a 
banker,  that  he  lost  all  his  money  suddenly  and  died  of  the 
shock.  At  any  rate  they  are  alone  in  the  world,  and  the 
colonel  has  no  doubt  that  they  are  some  relation — nephews, 
I  should  imagine — of  Peter  Scudamore,  who  was  our 
colonel  when  I  joined.  One  of  them  is  called  Peter. 
They  acknowledged  that  they  had  a  particular  reason  for 
choosing  this  regiment ;  but  they  would  neither  acknowl- 
edge or  deny  that  he  was  a  relation.  Now  that  we  know 
their  father  was  a  banker,  we  shall  find  out  without  difficulty 
— indeed  I  have  no  doubt  the  colonel  will  know  whether 
Peter  Scudamore  had  a  brother  a  banker.'' 

''  What's  to  be  done,  Manley  ?  "  Major  James  said.  *'  I 
don't  like  the  thought  of  poor  old  Peter's  nephews  turn- 
ing buglers.  All  of  us  field  officers,  and  the  best  part  of 
you  captains,  served  under  him,  and  a  better  fellow 
never  stepped.  I  think  between  us  we  might  do  some- 
thing." 

''  I  would  do  anything  I  could,"  Carruthers  said,  '^and 
there  are  Watson  and  Talbot  who  were  at  Eton  too.  Dash 
it,  I  don't  like  to  think  of  two  Etonians  in  a  baiid/* 


56  THE  YOUNG  BU0LBR8. 

^' You  are  all  very  good"  Captain  Manley  said,  ''but 
jrom  what  I  see  of  the  boys  they  will  go  their  own  way. 
They  have  plenty  of  pride,  and  they  acknowledge  that 
their  reason  for  refusing  to  say  whether  they  are  any  re- 
lation of  the  colonel  was  that  they  did  not  want  to  be 
taken  notice  of  or  treated  differently  from  other  boys,  be- 
cause it  would  cause  jealousy,  and  make  their  position  more 
difficult.  All  they  asked  was  that  they  might  accompany 
the  regiment,  and  not  remain  behind  at  the  dep6t ;  and 
as,  fortunately,  they  have  both  been  practising  with  the 
bugle,  and  can  sound  most  of  the  calls  as  well  as  the 
others,  the  colonel  was  able  to  grant  their  request.  Had 
they  been  older,  of  course,  we  could  have  arranged  for 
them  to  go  with  us  as  volunteers,  we  who  knew  the  colonel, 
paying  their  expenses  between  us  :  as  it  is,  the  only  thing 
we  can  do  for  them — and  that  is  what  they  would  like  best 
is  to  treat  them  just  like  the  other  boys,  but  to  give  them 
every  chance  of  distinguishing  themselves.  If  they  don't 
get  knocked  over,  they  ought  to  win  a  commission  before 
the  campaign  is  over." 

In  the  meantime  Tom  and  Peter  had  been  introducing 
themselves  to  the  regiment.  The  exercise  over,  they  had 
returned  to  dinner.  It  was  a  rough  meal,  but  the  boys 
enjoyed  it,  and  after  it  was  over  a  number  of  the  men  of 
the  band,  with  whom  they  messed,  crowded  round  to  ask 
the  usual  questions  of  new-comers — their  curiosity 
heightened  in  the  present  instance  by  the  fact  that  the 
boys  differed  so  widely  from  ordinary  recruits. 

*'  Look  here,''  Tom  said,  laughing,  "  I  can't  answer 
you  all  at  once,  but  if  you  put  me  on  the  table  I  will  tell 
you  all  about  us." 

There  was  a  general  laugh,  and  many  of  the  soldiers 
other  than  the  band  sauntered  up  to  see  what  was  going  on. 

"The  first  thing  to  tell  you,"  Tom  said,  *'  is  our  names. 
We  go  by  the  names  of  Tom  and  Peter  Scudamore,  but  I 
need  scarcely  tell  you  that  these  are  not  our  real  names. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  57 

The  fact  is — but  this  is  quite  a  secret — we  are  the  eldest 
sons  of  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley — '' 

Here  Tom  was  interrupted  by  a  shout  of  laughter. 

"Sir  Arthur/'  Tom  went  on  calmly,  ''wished  to  make 
ns  colonels  of  two  of  the  Life  Guard  regiments,  but  as 
they  were  not  going  on  foreign  service  we  did  not  see  it, 
and  have  accordingly  entered  the  regiment  which  Sir 
Arthur,  our  father,  in  speaking  to  a  friend,  said  was  the 
finest  in  the  service — namely,  the  Norfolk  Rangers.  We 
believe  that  it  is  the  custom,  upon  entering  a  regiment, 
to  pay  our  footing,  and  I  have  given  a  guinea  to  Corporal 
Skinner,  and  asked  him  to  make  it  go  as  far  as  he  could/* 

There  was  great  laughter  over  Tom's  speech,  which  was 
just  suited  to  soldiers,  and  the  boys  from  that  moment 
were  considered  part  of  the  regiment. 

''  There's  good  stuff  in  those  boys,"  an  old  sergeant  said 
to  another,  *'  plucky  and  cool.  I  shouldn't  be  surprised 
if  what  Tom  Dillon  said  was  about  right ;  he  was  waiting 
at  mess  just  now,  and  though  he  didn't  hear  all  that  was 
said,  he  picked  up  that  there  was  an  idea  that  these  boys 
are  related  to  the  old  colonel.  He  was  a  good  fellow,  ho 
was,  and,  though  I  say  nothing  against  Colonel  Tritton^ 
yet  we  missed  Colonel  Scudamore  terribly.  Strict,  and 
yet  kind,  just  the  sort  of  fellow  to  serve  under.  If  the 
boys  take  after  him  they  will  be  a  credit  to  the  regiment, 
and  mark  my  words,  we  shan't  see  them  in  the  band  many 
yeara," 


fg  TSE  YOUNG  BUQLEBS. 


CHAPTEB  IV. 

A  TOUGH  CUSTOMER. 

Like  most  boys  who  are  fond  of  play,  Tom  and  Peter 

Scudamore  were  capable  of  hard  work  at  a  ^incli,  and  dur- 
ing the  three  weeks  that  they  spent  at  Portsmouth  they 
certainly  worked  with  a  will.  They  had  nothing  to  do  in 
the  way  of  duty,  except  to  practice  the  bugle,  and  this  they 
did  with  a  zeal  and  perseverance  that  quite  won  the  heart 
of  Corporal  Skinner,  and  enabled  him  to  look  upon  Cap- 
tain Manley's  two  guineas  as  good  as  earned.  But  even 
with  the  best  will  and  the  strongest  lungs  possible,  boys 
can  only  blow  a  bugle  a  certain  number  of  hours  a  day. 
For  an  hour  before  breakfast,  for  two  hours  before  dinner, 
and  for  an  hour  and  a  half  in  the  evening  they  practiced, 
the  evening  work  being  extra,  alone  with  their  instructor. 
There  remained  the  whole  afternoon  to  themselves.  Their 
employment  of  those  hours  had  been  undertaken  at  Peter's 
suggestion. 

''  Look  here,  Tom,^'  he  said,  at  the  end  of  the  first  day's 
work,  ''  from  what  the  corporal  says,  we  shall  have  from 
one  till  about  five  to  ourselves.  Now,  we  are  going  to 
Spain,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  of  great  use  to 
us,  and  might  do  us  a  great  deal  of  good,  to  know  some- 
thing of  Spanish.  We  have  got  four  pounds  each  left,  and 
I  don't  think  that  we  could  lay  it  out  better  than  in  get- 
ting a  Spanish  master  and  some  books,  and  in  setting  to  in 
earnest  at  it.  If  we  work  with  all  our  might  for  four 
hours  a  day  with  a  master,  we  shall  have  made  some  prog- 
ress, and  shall  pick  up  the  pronunciation  a  little.    I  dare 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  59 

eay  we  shall  be  another  ten  days- or  a  fortnight  on  the 
voyage,  and  shall  have  lots  of  time  on  our  hands.  It  will 
make  it  so  much  easier  to  pick  it  up  when  we  get  there  if 
we  know  a  little  to  start  with." 

*^  I  think  it  is  a  capital  idea,  Peter ;  I  should  think  we 
are  pretty  sure  to  find  a  master  here." 

There  Was  no  difficulty  upon  that  score,  for  there  were 
a  large  number  of  Spanish  in  England  at  the  time  ;  men 
who  had  left  the  country  rather  than  remain  under  the 
French  yoke,  and  among  them  were  many  who  were  glad 
to  get  their  living  by  teaching  their  native  language. 
There  were  two  or  three  in  this  condition  in  Portsmouth, 
and  to  one  of  these  the  boys  applied.  He  was  rather  sur- 
prised at  the  application  from  the  two  young  buglers — for 
the  uniforms  were  finished  twenty-four  hours  after  their 
arrival — but  at  once  agreed  to  devote  his  whole  afternoons 
to  them.  Having  a  strong  motive  for  their  work,  and  a 
determination  to  succeed  in  it,  the  boys  made  a  progress 
that  astonished  both  themselves  and  their  teacher,  and 
they  now  found  the  advantage  of  their  grounding  in  Latin 
at  Eton.  Absorbed  in  their  work,  they  saw  little  of  the 
other  boys,  except  at  meals  and  when  at  practice. 

One  evemng  when  at  supper,  one  of  the  buglers,  named 
Mitcham,  a  icid  of  nearly  eighteen,  made  some  sneermg 
remark  about  h(y^'%  who  thought  themselves  above  others, 
and  gave  themselv»*s  airs.  Tom  saw  at  once  that  this  allu- 
sion was  meant  for  them,  and  took  the  matter  up. 

*^  I  suppose  you  mean  us,  Mitcham.  You  are  quite  mis- 
taken ;  neithi.  r  my  brother  nor  myself  think  ourselves 
better  than  any  one,  nor  have  we  any  idea  of  giving  our- 
selves airs.  The  fact  is — and  I  am  not  surprised  that  you 
should  think  us  unsociable — we  are  taking  lessons  in  Span- 
ish. If  we  go  with  the  regiment  it  will  be  very  useful, 
and  1  have  heard  it  said  that  any  one  who  lands  in  a 
foreign  country,  and  who  knows  a  little  of  the  grammar 
and  pronunciation,  will  learn  it  in  half  the  time  that  he 


60  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

would  were  he  altogether  ignorant  of  both.  I  am  sorry 
that  I  did  not  mention  it  before,  because  I  can  understand 
that  it  must  seem  as  if  we  did  not  want  to  be  sociable.  I 
can  assure  you  that  we  do  ;  and  that  after  this  fortnight  is 
over  we  shall  be  ready  to  be  as  jolly  as  any  one.  You  see 
we  are  altogether  behindhand  with  our  work  now,  and 
have  got  to  work  hard  to  put  ourselves  on  your  level.'' 

Tom  spoke  so  good-temperedly  that  there  was  a  general 
feeling  in  his  favor,  and  several  of  them  who  had  before 
thought  with  Mitcham,  that  the  new-comers  were  net  in- 
clined to  be  sociable,  felt  that  they  had  been  mistaken. 
There  was,  however,  a  general  feeling  of  siirprise  and 
amusement  at  the  idea  of  two  boys  voluntarily  taking  les- 
sons in  Spanish.  Mitcham,  however,  who  was  a  surly- 
tempered  young  fellow,  and  who  was  jealous  of  the  prog- 
ress which  the  boys  were  making,  and  of  the  general 
liking  with  which  they  seemed  to  be  regarded,  said, — 

"  I  believe  that's  only  an  excuse  for  getting  away  from 

us." 

*^  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  think  that  I  am  telling 
a  lie  ?"  Tom  asked  quietly. 

"  Yes,  if  you  put  it  in  that  way,  young  'un,"  Mitcham 

eaid. 

''  Hold  your  tongue,  Mitcham,  or  Fll  pull  your  ears  for 
you,"  Corporal  Skinner  said  :  but  his  speech  was  cut  short 
by  Tom's  putting  one  hand  on  the  barrack  table,  vaulting 
across  it,  and  striking  Mitcham  a  heavy  blow  between  the 

eyes. 

There  was  a  cry  of  "  a  fight ! "  among  the  boys,  but  tha 
men  interfered  at  once. 

"  You  don't  know  what  you  are  doing,  young  'un,"  one 
eaid  to  Tom  ;  "  when  you  hit  a  fellow  here,  you  must  fight 
him.  That's  the  rule,  and  you  can't  fight  Mitcham  ;  he's 
two  years  older,  at  least,  and  a  head  taller." 

"Of  course  I  will  fight  him,"  Tom  said.  ''I  would 
fight  him  if  he  were  twice  as  big,  if  he  called  me  a  liar.' 


»f 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  61 

*'  Nonsense,  young  'un  ! "  another  said,  "  it's  not  pos- 
Bible.  He  was  wrong,  and  if  you  had  not  struck  him  I 
would  have  licked  him  myself  ;  but  as  you  have  done  so, 
you  had  better  put  up  with  a  thrashing,  and  have  done 
with  it/' 

"  I  should  think  so,  indeed  ! "  Tom  said  disdainfully. 
■^  I  may  get  a  licking  ;  I  dare  say  I  shall  ;  but  it  won't  be 
all  on  one  side.  Look  here,  Mitcham,  we  will  have  it  out 
to-morrow,  on  the  ramparts  behind  the  barracks.  But,  if 
you  will  apologize  to  me  for  calling  me  a  liar,  Til  say  I  am 
sorry  I  hit  you.'' 

*'  Oh,  blow  your  sorrow  ! "  the  lad  said.  "  I'll  give  you 
the  heartiest  licking  you  ever  had  in  your  life,  my  young 
cock." 

'^  Oh,  all  right,"  Tom  said  cheerfully.  '*  We  will  see  all 
about  it  when  the  time  comes." 

As  it  was  evident  now  that  there  was  no  way  out  of  it, 
no  one  interfered  further  in  the  matter.  Quarrels  in  the 
army  are  always  settled  by  a  fair  fight,  as  at  school  ;  but 
several  of  the  older  men  questioned  among  themselves 
whether  they  ought  to  let  this  go  on,  considering  that 
Tom  Scudamore  was  only  between  fifteen  and  sixteen, 
while  his  opponent  was  two  years  older,  and  was  so  much 
heavier  and  stronger.  However,  as  it  was  plain  that  Tom 
would  not  take  a  thrashing  for  the  blow  he  had  struck, 
and  there  did  not  seem  any  satisfactory  way  out  of  it, 
nothing  was  done,  except  that  two  or  three  of  them  went 
up  to  Mitcham,  and  strongly  urged  him  to  shake  hands 
with  Tom,  and  confess  that  he  had  done  wrong  in  giving 
him  the  lie.  This  Mitcham  would  not  hear  of,  and  there 
was  nothing  further  to  be  done. 

*'  I  am  afraid,  Tom,  you  have  no  chance  with  that  fel- 
low." Peter  said,  as  they  were  undressing. 

'^  No  chance  in  the  world,  Peter  :  but  I  can  box  fairly, 
Tou  know,  and  am  pretty  hard.  I  shall  be  able  to  punish 
him  a  bit,  and  you  may  be  sure  I  shall  never  give  in,     It'i 


^2  TUE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

no  great  odds  getting  a  licking,  and  I  suppose  that  they  will 
stop  it  before  I  am  killed.  Don't  bother  about  it.  I  had 
rather  get  knocked  about  in  a  fight  than  get  flogged  at 
Eton  any  day.  I  would  rather  you  did  not  come  to  see  it, 
Peter,  if  you  don't  mind.  When  you  fought  Evans  it  hurt 
me  ten  times  as  much  as  if  I  had  been  fighting,  and,  al- 
though you  licked  him,  it  made  me  feel  like  a  girl.  I  can 
stand  twice  the  punishment  if  I  don't  feel  that  any  blow 
is  hitting  you  as  well  as  myself." 

Tom's  prediction  about  the  fight  turned  out  to  be  nearly 
correct.  He  was  m.ore  active,  and  a  vastly  better  boxer 
than  his  antagonist,  and  although  he  was  constantly 
knocked  down,  he  punished  him  very  heavily  about  the 
face.  In  fact,  the  fight  v/as  exactly  similar  to  that  great 
battle,  fifty  years  afterwards,  between  Sayers  and  Heenan. 

Time  after  time  Tom  was  knocked  down,  and  even  his 
second  begged  him  to  give  in,  but  he  would  not  hear  of  it. 

Breathless  and  exhausted,  but  always  cool  and  smiling, 
he  faced  his  heavy  antagonist,  eluding  his  furious  rushes, 
and  managing  to  strike  a  few  straight  blows  at  his  eyes 
before  being  knocked  down.  By  the  time  that  they  had 
fought  a  quarter  of  an  hour  half  the  regiment  was  assem- 
bled, and  loud  were  the  cheers  which  greeted  Tom  each 
time  he  came  up,  very  pale  and  bleeding,  but  confident, 
against  his  antagonist. 

At  last  an  old  sergeant  came  forward.  *'  Come,"  he 
said,  'Hhere  has  been  enough  of  this.  You  had  better 
stop." 

''  Will  he  say  he  was  sorry  he  called  me  a  liar  ?"  Tom 
asked. 

'^  No,  I  won't,"  Mitcham  answered. 

The  sergeant  was  about  to  use  his  authority  to  stop  it, 
when  Tom  said  to  him,  in  a  low  voice  : 

'^  Look,  sergeant !  please  let  us  go  on  another  five  min- 
utes. I  think  I  can  stand  that,  and  he  can  hardly  see  0116 
of  his  eyes  now.     He  won't  see  a  bit  by  that  time." 


THB  FlGKT.— Page  6a. 


THE  YOUNG  BUOLERS.  68 

The  Bergeant  hesitated,  but  a  glance  at  Tom's  antag- 
onist convinced  him  that  what  he  said  was  correct. 
Mitcham  had  at  all  times  a  round  and  rather  puffy  face, 
and  his  cheeks  were  now  so  swollen  with  the  effect  of 
Tom's  straight,  steady  hitting,  that  he  could  with  diffi- 
culty see. 

It  was  a  hard  five  minutes  for  Tom,  for  his  antagonist, 
finding  that  he  was  rapidly  getting  blind,  rushed  with 
fury  upon  him,  trying  to  end  the  fight.  Tom  had  less 
difficulty  in  guarding  the  blows,  given  wildly  and  almost 
at  random,  but  he  was  knocked  down  time  after  time  by 
the  mere  force  and  weight  of  the  rush.  He  felt  himself 
getting  weak,  and  could  hardly  get  up  from  his  second's 
knee  upon  the  call  of  time.  He  was  not  afraid  of  being 
made  to  give  in,  but  he  was  afraid  of  fainting,  and  of  so 
being  unable  to  come  up  to  time. 

*'  Stick  a  knife  into  me  ;  do  anything  ! "  he  said  to  his 
second,  '^  if  I  go  off,  only  bring  me  up  to  time.  He  can't 
hold  out  much  longer." 

Nor  could  he.  His  hitting  became  more  and  more  at 
randoni,  until  at  last,  on  getting  up  from  his  second's 
knee,  Mitcham  cried  in  a  hoarse  voice,  *'  Where  is  he  ?  I 
can't  see  him  ! " 

Then  Tom  went  forward  with  his  hands  down.  '*  Look 
here,  Mitcham,  you  can't  see,  and  I  can  hardly  stand.  I 
think  we  have  both  done  enough.  We  neither  of  us  can 
give  in,  well  because — because  I  am  a  gentleman,  you  be- 
cause you  are  bigger  than  I  am  ;  so  let's  shake  hands,  and 
6ixy  no  more  about  it." 

Mitcham  hesitated  an  instant,  and  then  held  out  his 
hand.  '•  You  are  a  good  fellow,  Scudamore,  and  there's 
my  hand  ;  but  you  have  licked  me  fairly.  I  can't  come  up 
to  time,  and  you  can.  There,  I  am  sorry  I  called  you  a 
liar." 

Tom  took  the  hand,  and  shook  it,  and  then  a  mist  came 
C^yer  hia  eyes,  aud  his  knees  tottered,  as^  with  the  ringing 


64  -THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

cheers  of  tlie  men  in  his  ears,  he  fainted  into  his  second's 
arms. 

*^  What  a  row  the  men  are  making  !  '^  the  major  said,  as 
the  sound  of  cheering  came  through  the  open  window  of 
the  mess-room,  at  which  the  officers  were  sitting  at  lunch. 
"  It's  a  fight  of  course,  and  a  good  one,  judging  by  the 
cheering.     Does  any  one  know  who  it  is  between  ?  " 

No  one  had  heard. 

"  It's  over  now/'  the  adjutant  said,  looking  out  of  the 
window,  ^*  Here  are  the  men  coming  down  in  a  stream. 
They  look  very  excited  over  it.  I  wonder  who  it  has  been. 
Stokes,"  he  said,  turning  to  one  of  the  mess  servants,  **go 
out,  and  find  out  who  has  been  fighting,  and  all  about  it." 

In  a  minute  or  two  the  man  returned.  *^  It's  two  of  the 
band  boys,  sir." 

*'  Oh,  only  two  boys  !  I  wonder  they  made  such  a  fusa 
over  that.     Who  are  they  ?" 

*'  One  was  one  of  the  boys  who  have  just  joined,  sir. 
Tom  Scudamore,  they  call  him." 

*'  I  guessed  as  much,"  Captain  Manley  laughed ;  *'I 
knew  they  would  not  be  long  here  without  a  fight.  Who 
was  the  other  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  I  almost  thought  it  must  be  a  mistake  when 
they  told  me,  seeing  they  are  so  unequally  matched,  but 
they  all  say  so,  so  in  course  it's  true — the  other  was 
Mitcham,  the  bugler  of  No.  3  Company." 

*^  What  a  shame  I  "  was  the  general  exclam^ation,  while 
Captain  Manley  got  up  and  called  for  his  cap. 

''A  brutal  shame,  I  call  it,"  he  said  hotly.  *'Mit- 
cham's  nearly  a  man.  It  ought  not  to  have  been  allowed. 
I  will  go  and  inquire  after  the  boy.  I  will  bet  five  pounds 
he  was  pretty  nearly  killed  before  he  gave  in." 

"  He  didn't  give  in.  Captain  Manley,"  the  servant  said. 
*'  He  won  the  fight.  They  fought  till  Mitcham  couldn't 
see,  and  then  young  Scudamore  went  up  and  offered  to 
4raw  i%  but  Mitcham  acknowledged  he  was  fairly  licked. 


THE  YOUNG  BUG  LEES,  65 

It  was  a  close  thing,  for  the  boy  fainted  right  off ;  but  he's 
come  round  now,  and  says  he's  all  right." 

''  Hurrah  for  Eton  ! "  Carruthers  shouted  enthusia*. 
tically.  "  Hurrah  !  By  Jove,  he  is  game,  and  no  mistake. 
He  won  a  hard  fight  or  two  at  Eton,  but  nothing  like  this, 
I  call  it  splendid." 

''The  boy  might  have  been  killed,"  the  major  said 
gravely ;  while  the  younger  officers  joined  in  Carruthers's 
exclamation  at  Tom's  pluck.  «'  It  is  shameful  that  it  was 
allowed.  I  suppose  the  quarrel  began  in  their  quarters. 
Sergeant  Howden  is  in  charge  of  the  room,  and  ought  to 
have  stopped  it  at  once.  Every  non-commissioned  officer 
ought  to  have  stopped  it.  I  will  have  Howden  up  before 
the  colonel  to-morrow." 

"  I  think,  major,"  Captain  Manley  said,  ''  if  you  will 
excuse  me,  the  best  plan,  as  far  as  the  boy  is  concerned,  is 
to  take  no  notice  of  it.  As  it  is,  he  must  have  won  the 
hearts  of  all  the  regiment  by  his  pluck,  and  if  he  is  not 
seriously  hurt,  it  is  the  very  best  thing,  as  it  has  turned 
out,  that  could  have  happened.  If  any  one  gets  into  a 
scrape  about  it,  it  might  lessen  the  effect  of  the  victory. 
I  think  if  you  call  Howden  up,  and  give  him  a  quiet  wig- 
ging, it  will  do  as  well,  and  won't  injure  the  boys.  What 
do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you  are  right,  Manley,  as  it  has  turned  out ;  but 
the  boy  might  have  been  killed.  However,  I  won't  do 
more  than  give  Howden  a  hearty  wigging,  and  will  then 
learn  how  the  affair  begun.  I  think.  Dr.  Stathers,  that  it 
would  be  as  well  if  you  went  round  and  saw  both  of  them. 
You  had  better,  I  think,  order  them  into  hospital  for  the 
night,  and  then  the  boy  can  go  to  bed  at  once,  and  come 
out  again  to-morrow,  if  he  has,  as  I  hope,  nothing  worse 
than  a  few  bruises.  Please  come  back,  and  tell  us  how 
you  find  them." 

The  report  was  favorable,  and  the  next  morning  Tom 
came  out  of  hospital,  and  took  his  place  as  usuaU  with  the 


66  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

party  upon  the  ramparts — pale,  and  a  good  deal  marked 
but  not  much  the  worse  for  his  battle ;  but  it  was  some 
days  before  the  swelling  of  his  adversary's  face  subsided 
sufficiently  for  him  to  return  to  duty 

Tom's  victory — as  Captain  Manley  had  predicted — quite 
won  the  hearts  of  the  whole  regiment,  and  the  nicknames 
of  "Sir  Tom/'  and  ''Sir  Peter" — which  bad  been  given 
to  them  in  jest  after  Tom's  speech  about  Sir  Arthur  Wel- 
lesley — were  now  generally  applied  to  them.  The  conversa- 
tion in  the  mess-room  had  got  about,  and  the  old  soldiers 
who  had  served  under  Colonel  Scudamore  would  have 
done  anything  for  the  lads,  although,  as  yet,  they  were 
hardly  known  personally  except  to  the  band,  as  their  devo- 
tion to  work  kept  them  quite  apart  from  the  men. 

It  was  just  three  weeks  after  they  had  joined  before  the 
order  came  for  embarkation,  and  a  thrill  of  pleasure  and 
excitement  ran  through  the  regiment  when  it  was  known 
that  they  were  to  go  on  board  in  four  days.  Not  the  least 
delighted  were  Tom  and  Peter.  It  had  already  been 
formally  settled  that  they  were  to  accompany  the  regiment, 
and  it  was  a  proof  of  the  popularity  that  they  had  gained, 
that  every  one  looked  upon  their  going  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  that  no  comment  was  excited  even  among  those 
who  were  left  behind.  Three  days  before  starting  they 
had  met  Captain  Manley  in  the  barrack-yard,  and  after 
saluting,  Tom  said,  ''  If  you  please,  sir,  we  wanted  to  ask 
you  a  question." 

'' What  is  that,  lads?" 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  we  understand  that  the  boys  of  the 
band  have  their  bags  carried  for  them,  but  the  company 
buglers  carry  knapsacks,  like  the  men  ?" 

"  Yes,  boys  ;  the  company  buglers  carry  knapsacks  and 
muskets." 

"I  am  afraid  we  could  not  carry  muskets  and  do  much 
inarching,  sir,  but  we  have  each  a  brace  of  pistols." 

Captain  Manley  smiled.     "  Pistols  would  not  lotk  the 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  (J7 

thing  on  a  parade-ground,  boys  y  but  in  a  campaign  people 
are  not  very  particular,  and  I  have  no  doubt  the  colonel 
will  overlook  any  little  breach  of  strict  uniformity  in  your 
cases,  as  it  is  evident  you  can^t  carry  muskets.  You  can 
use  your  pistols,  I  hope,"  he  said  with  a  smile.  "Hit  a 
penny  every  time  at  twenty  paces  !  '* 

*'  No,  sir,  we  can't  do  that,"'  Tom  said  seriously.     "We 
^an  hit  a  good-sized  apple  nnieteen  times  out  of  twenty." 
"  The  deuce  you  can  ! "  Captain  Manley  said.     "  How 
did  you  learn  to  do  that  ?  '^ 

"  We  have  practiced  twelve  shots  a  day  for  the  last  six 
months,  sir.  We  w«re  thinking  of  asking  you,  sir,  if  you 
would  like  to  carry  a  brace  of  them  through  the  campaign. 
They  are  splendid  weapons  ;  and  we  shall  only  carry  one 
each.  They  would  get  rusty  and  spoil,  if  we  left  them 
behind,  and  we  should  be  very  pleased  to  think  they  might 
be  useful  to  you,  after  your  great  kindness  to  us." 

"  It  is  not  a  very  regular  thing,  boys,"  Captain  Manley 
said,  "  for  a  captain  to  be  borrowing  a  brace  of  pistolg 
from  two  of  his  buglers  ;  but  you  are  exceptional  buglers, 
and  there  is  something  in  what  you  say  about  rusting. 
Besides,  it  is  possible  you  may  lose  yours,  so  I  will  accept 
your  offer  with  thanks,  with  the  understanding  that  I  will 
carry  the  pistols,  and  you  shall  have  them  again  if  anything 
happens  to  yours.     But  how  about  the  knapsacks  ?" 

"  We  were  thinking  of  having  two  made  of  the  regi- 
mental pattern,  sir,  but  smaller  and  lighter,  if  you  think 
that  it  would  be  allov/ed.^' 

"  Well,  I  think,  boys,  if  you  are  allowed  to  carry  pistols 
instead  of  muskets,  no  great  objection  will  be  made  as  to 
the  exact  size  of  the  knapsacks.  Yes,  you  can  get  them 
made,  and  I  will  speak  to  the  colonel  about  it." 

"  Perhaps,"  he  hesitated,  "  you  may  be  in  want  of  a  little 
money  ;  do  not  hesitate  if  you  do.  I  can  let  you  have  five 
pounds,  and  you  can  pay  me,"  he  said  with  a  laugh,  "  out 
of  your  share  of  our  first  prize-money.'^ 


68  THE  YOUNG  BUGLSBS, 

The  boys  colored  hotly. 

"  No,  thank  you,  Captain  Manley ;  we  have  plenty  of 
money.     Shall  we  bring  the  pistols  to  your  quarters  ?  " 

"  Do,  lads,  I  am  going  in  to  lunch  now,  and  will  be  in 
in  half  an  hour /^ 

The  boys  at  once  went  out  and  ordered  their  knapsacks. 
They  had  just  sold  their  watches,  which  were  large,  hand- 
some, and  of  gold,  and  had  been  given  to  them  by  their 
father  when  they  went  to  Eton.  They  were  very  sorry  to 
part  with  them,  but  they  agreed  that  it  would  be  folly  to 
keep  gold  watches  when  the  twenty  pounds  which  they 
obtained  for  them  would  buy  two  stout  and  useful  silver 
watches  and  would  leave  them  twelve  pounds  in  money. 
They  then  returned  to  barracks,  took  out  a  brace  of  their 
pistols,  carefully  cleaned  them,  and  removed  the  silver 
plates  upon  the  handles,  and  then  walked  across  to  Captain 
Manley's  quarters. 

Rather  to  their  surprise  and  confusion  they  found  five 
or  six  other  officers  there,  for  Captain  Manley  had  men- 
tioned at  lunch  to  the  amusement  of  his  friends  that  he 
was  going  to  be  unexpectedly  provided  with  a  brace  of 
pistols,  and  several  of  them  at  once  said  that  they  would 
go  up  with  him  to  his  quarters,  as  they  wanted  to  see  the 
boys  of  whom  they  had  spoken  so  much  during  the  last 
fortnight.  Tom  and  Peter  drew  themselves  up  and  saluted 
stiffly. 

''You  need  not  be  buglers  here,  boys,'^  Captain  Manley 
said.  "  This  is  my  room,  we  are  all  gentlemen,  and  though 
I  could  not,  according  to  the  regulations,  walk  down  the 
street  with  you,  the  strictest  disciplinarian  would  excuse  my 
doing  as  I  like  here.^' 

The  boys  flushed  with  pleasure  at  Captain  Mauley's  kind 
address,  and  as  he  finished  Carruthers  stepped  forward  and 
shook  them  warmly  by  the  hand. 

''  How  are  you  both  ?  "  he  said.  "You  have  not  forgot* 
ten  me,  I  hope.'* 


THE  TOUNG  BUGLERS.  69 

''  I  had  not  seen  you  before.  I  did  not  know  you  were 
in  the  regiment,  Carruthers,"  the  boys  said  warmly,  pleased 
to  find  a  face  they  had  known  before ;  and  then  breaking 
off  : — "  I  beg  your  pardon — Mr.  Carruthers.'' 

'^  There  are  no  misters  here  as  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
Scudamore.  There  were  no  misters  at  Eton.  This  is  a 
change,  isn't  it  ?  Better  than  grinding  away  at  Greek  by 
a  long  way.  Well,  I  congratulate  you  on  your  fight.  You 
showed  there  was  some  good  in  dear  old  Eton  still.  I  wish 
you  had  let  me  know  it  was  coming  off.  I  would  have 
given  anything  to  have  seen  it — from  a  distance,  you  know. 
If  it  had  been  the  right  thing,  I  would  have  come  and  been 
vour  backer." 

There  was  a  general  laugh,  and  then  the  officers  all  be- 
gan to  talk  to  the  boys.  They  were  quiet  and  respectful 
in  their  manners,  and  fully  confirmed  the  favorable  report 
which  Captain  Manley  had  given  of  them. 

*'  Where  are  the  pistols,  boys  ?"  their  friend  asked  pres- 
ently. 

''  Here,  sir,"  and  the  boys  produced  them  from  under 
their  jackets.  *'  We  have  no  case,  sir ;  we  were  obliged  to 
leave  it  behind  us  when  we — " 

'^  Ran  away,"  one  of  the  officers  said,  laughing. 

*^They  are  a  splendid  pair  of  pistols,"  Captain  Manley 
said,  examining  them  ;  ^'  beautifully  finished,  and  rifled. 
They  look  quite  new,  too,  though,  of  course,  they  are 
not." 

*'  They  are  new,  sir,"  Tom  said  ;  ''  we  have  only  had 
them  six  months,  and  they  were  new  then." 

'^  Indeed,"  Captain  Manley  said  surprised  ;  "  I  thought, 
of  course,  they  were  family  pistols.  Why,  how  on  earth, 
if  it  is  not  an  impertinent  question,  did  you  boys  get  hold 
of  two  brace  of  such  pistols  as  these  ?  I  have  no  right  to 
ask  the  question,  boys.  I  see  there  has  been  a  plate  on 
the  handles.  But  you  said  you  had  no  relations,  and  I  was 
surprised  into  asking." 


70  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

The  boys  colored. 

"The  question  was  quite  natural,  sir;  the  pistols  were 
presented  to  us  by  some  people  we  traveled  with  once  ;  we 
took  the  plates  off  because  they  made  a  great  fuss  about  noth- 
ing, and  we  thought  that  it  would  look  cockey/' 

There  was  a  laugh  among  the  officers  at  the  boys*  con- 
fusion. 

"No  one  would  suspect  you  of  being  cockey,  Scuda- 
more,"  Captain  Manley  said  kindly ;  "  come,  let  me  see 
the  plates. '* 

The  boys  took  the  little  silver  plates  from  their  pockets 
and  handed  them  silently  to  Captain  Manley,  who  read 
aloud,  to  the  surprise  of  those  around  him, — "  '  To  Tom  * 
and  '  Peter,'  they  are  alike  except  the  names.  '  To  Tom 
Scudamore,  presented  by  the  passengers  in  the  Highflyer 
coach  on  the  4th  of  August,  1808,  as  a  testimony  of  their 
appreciation  of  his  gallant  conduct,  by  which  their  prop- 
erty was  saved  from  plunder.'  Why,  what  is  this,  you 
young  pickles,  what  were  you  up  to  on  the  4th  of  August  last 
year  ?  " 

"  There  was  nothing  in  it  at  all,  sir,"  Tom  said  ;  "we 
were  on  the  coach  and  were  stopped  by  highwaymen. 
One  of  the  passengers  had  pistols,  but  was  afraid  to  use 
them,  and  hid  them  among  the  boxes.  So  when  the  pas- 
sengers were  ordered  to  get  down  to  be  searched,  we  hid 
ourselves,  and  when  the  highwaymen  were  collecting  their 
watches,  Peter  Shot  one,  and  I  drove  the  coach  over  an- 
other. The  matter  was  very  simple  indeed ;  but  the 
passengers  saved  their  money,  so  made  a  great  fuss  about 
it.'' 

There  was  much  laughter  over  Tom's  statement,  and 
then  he  had  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  the  whole  affair, 
which  elicited  many  expressions  of  approval. 

"  It  does  you  credit,  boys,"  Captain  Manley  said,  "  and 
shows  that  you  are  cool  as  well  as  plucky.  One  quality  is 
fts  yaluable  as  the  other.    There  is  ever«  hooe  that  vou 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  71 

mil  do  the  regiment  credit,  boys,  and  you  may  be  sure  that 
we  shall  give  you  every  chance.  And  now  good-bye  for  the 
present/' 

*'  Good-bye,  sir,"  Tom  and  Peter  again  drew  themselves 
ap,  gave  the  military  salute,  and  went  off  to  their  com- 
rades. 

For  when  the  order  came  to  prepare  for  the  embarkation, 
both  Spanish  and  bugling  were  given  up,  and  the  boys 
entered  into  the  pleasure  of  the  holiday  with  immense  zest. 
They  had  no  regimental  duties  to  perform  beyond  being 
present  at  parade.  They  had  no  packing  to  do,  and  fewer 
purchases  to  make.  A  ball  or  two  of  stout  string,  for,  as 
Peter  said,  string  is  always  handy,  and  a  large  pocket-knife, 
each  with  a  variety  of  blades,  were  the  principal  items. 
They  had  a  ring  put  to  the  knives,  so  that  they  could  sling 
them  round  the  waist.  They  had,  therefore,  nothing  to 
do  but  to  amuse  themselves,  and  this  they  did  with  a 
heartiness  which  astonished  the  other  boys,  and  proved 
conclusively  that  they  did  not  want  to  be  unsociable.  They 
hired  a  boat  for  a  sail  and  took  five  or  six  other  boys  across 
to  Ryde,  only  just  returning  in  time  for  tattoo,  and  they 
played  such  a  number  of  small  practical  jokes,  such  as 
putting  a  handful  of  peas  into  the  bugles  and  other  wind 
instruments,  that  the  band-master  declared  that  he  thought 
that  they  were  all  bewitched,  and  he  threatened  to  thrash 
the  boys  all  round,  because  he  could  not  find  out  who  had 
done  it. 

Especially  angry  was  the  man  who  played  the  big  drum. 
This  was  a  gigantic  negro,  named  Sam,  a  kind-hearted 
fellow,  constantly  smiling,  except  when  the  thought  of  his 
own  importance  made  him  assume  a  particularly  grave  ap- 
pearance. He  was  a  general  favorite,  although  the  boys 
were  rather  afraid  of  him,  for  he  was  apt  to  get  into  a  pas- 
sion if  any  jokes  were  attempted  upon  him,  and  of  all  of- 
fences the  greatest  was  to  call  him  Sambo.  Now  none  of 
the  meu  ventured  upon  this,  for  when  he  first  joined,  Saii^ 


72  THE  YOUNO  BUGLERS. 

had  fought  two  or  three  desperate  battles  on  this  ground, 
and  his  great  strength  and  the  insensibility  of  his  head  to 
blows  had  invariably  given  him  the  victory.  But,  treated 
with  what  he  conceived  proper  respect,  Sam  was  one  of  the 
best-tempered  and  best-natured  fellows  in  the  regiment ; 
and  he  himself,  when  he  once  cooled  down,  was  perfectly 
ready  to  join  in  the  laugh  against  himself,  even  after  he 
had  been  most  put  out  by  a  joke. 

The  day  before  the  regiment  was  to  embark,  the  officers 
gave  a  lawn  party  ;  a  large  number  of  ladies  were  present, 
and  the  band  was,  of  course,  to  play.  The  piece  which  the 
bandmaster  had  selected  for  the  commencement  began 
with  four  distinct  beats  of  the  big  drum.  Just  before  it 
began.  Captain  Manley  saw  Tom  and  Peter,  who  with 
some  of  the  other  boys  had  brought  the  music-stands  into 
the  ground,  with  their  faces  bright  with  anticipated  fun. 

**  "What  is  the  joke,  boys  ? "  he  asked  good-humoredly, 
as  he  passed  them. 

"  I  can^t  tell  you,  sir,^'  Tom  said  ;  ''but  if  you  walk  up 
close  to  the  band,  and  watch  Sam's  face  when  he  begins, 
you  will  be  amused,  I  think.'' 

''Those  are  regular  young  pickles,"  Captain  Manley  said 
to  the  lady  he  was  walking  with  ;  "  they  are  Etonians  who 
have  run  away  from  home,  and  are  up  to  all  kinds  of  mis- 
chief, but  are  the  pluckiest  and  most  straightforward 
youngsters  imaginable.  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  are  up 
to  some  trick  with  our  black  drummer." 

On  their  way  to  where  the  band  was  preparing  to  play. 
Captain  Manley  said  a  word  or  two  to  several  of  the  other 
officers,  consequently  there  was  quite  a  little  party  standing 
watching  the  band  wnen  their  leader  lifted  his  baton  for  the 
overture  to  begin. 

There  was  nothing  that  Sam  liked  better  than  for  the 
big  drum  to  commence,  and  with  his  head  thrown  well 
back  and  an  air  of  extreme  importance,  he  lifted  his  arm 
and  brought  it  down  with  what  should  have  been  a  sounding 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  73 

blow  upon  the  drum.  To  his  astonishment  and  to  the  sur- 
prise of  all  the  band,  no  deep  boom  was  heard,  onlj^  a  low 
muffled  sound.  Mechanically  Sam  raised  his  other  arm  and 
let  it  fall  with  a  similar  result.  Sam  looked  a  picture  of  ut- 
ter astonishment  and  dismay,  with  his  eyes  opened  to  their 
fullest,  and  he  gave  vent  to  a  loud  cry,  which  completed 
the  eSect  produced  by  his  face,  and  set  most  of  those  look- 
ing on,  and  even  the  band  themselves,  into  a  roar  of  laugh- 
ter. Sam  now  examined  his  sticks,  they  appeared  all  right 
to  the  eye,  but  directly  he  felt  them  his  astonishment  was 
turned  into  rage.  They  were  perfectly  soft.  Taking  out 
his  knife  he  cut  them  open,  and  found  that  the  balls  were 
merely  filled  with  a  wad  of  soft  cotton,  the  necessary 
weight  being  given  by  pieces  of  lead  fastened  round  the 
end  of  the  stick  inside  the  ball  with  waxed  thread. 

Sam  was  too  enraged  to  say  more  than  his  usual  exclama- 
tion of  astonishment,  "  Golly  !  "  and  he  held  out  his  drum- 
sticks to  be  examined  with  the  face  of  a  black  statue  of 
surprise. 

Even  the  band-master  was  obliged  to  laugh  as  he  took 
the  sticks  from  Sam's  hand  to  examine  them. 

'^  These  are  not  your  sticks  at  all,  Sam,''  he  said,  looking 
closely  at  them.  "  Here,  boy,"  he  called  to  Tom,  who 
might  have  been  detected  from  the  fact  of  his  being  the 
only  person  present  with  a  serious  face,  '^'run  to  the  band- 
room  and  see  if  you  can  find  the  sticks." 

In  a  few  minutes  Tom  returned  with  the  real  drumsticks, 
which,  he  said  truly,  he  had  found  on  the  shelf  "where  they 
were  usually  kept.  After  that  things  went  on  as  usual  ; 
Sam  played  with  a  sulky  fury.  His  dignity  was  injured, 
and  he  declared  over  and  over  again  that  if  he  could  '^  find 
de  rascal  who  did  it,  by  jingo,  I  pound  him  to  squash  ! " 
and  there  was  no  doubt  from  his  look  that  he  thoroughly 
meant  what  he  said.  However,  no  inquiries  could  bring  to 
light  the  author  of  the  trick, 


7A  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS, 


CHAPTER  V. 

OVERBOARD. 

There  were  no  lighter  hearts  than  those  of  Tom  and 
Peter  Scudamore  on  board  the  transport  '^  Nancy/'  as, 
among  the  hearty  cheers  of  the  troops  on  board,  and  the 
waving  of  hats  and  handkerchiefs  from  friends  who  had 
come  out  in  small  boats  to  say  good-bye  for  the  last  time, 
Bhe  weighed  anchor,  and  set  sail  in  company  with  some  ten 
or  twelve  other  transports,  and  under  convoy  of  two  ships 
of  war.  It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  a  prettier  scene. 
The  guns  fired,  the  bands  of  the  various  regiments  played, 
and  the  white  sails  opened  out  bright  in  the  sun  as  the 
sailors  swarmed  into  the  rigging,  anxious  to  outvie  each 
other.  Even  the  soldiers  pulled  and  hauled  at  the  ropes, 
and  ran  round  with  the  capstan  bars  to  get  the  anchors 
apeak.  Tom  and  Peter,  of  course,  had,  like  the  other  boys, 
got  very  much  in  the  way  in  their  desire  to  assist,  and, 
having  been  once  or  twice  knocked  over  by  the  rush  of 
men  coming  along  with  ropes,  they  wisely  gave  it  up,  and 
leaned  over  the  side  to  enjoy  the  scene. 

''  This  is  splendid,  Tom,  isn't  it  ?  " 

*'  Glorious,  Peter  ;  but  it's  blowing  pretty  strong.  lam 
afraid  that  we  sha'n't  find  it  quite  so  glorious  when  we  get 
out  of  the  shelter  of  the  island." 

Peter  laughed.  ''  No  ;  I  suppose  we  sha'n't  all  look  as 
jolly  as  we  do  now  by  night-time.  However,  the  wind  is 
nor'- westerly,  which  will  help  us  along  nicely,  if,  as  I  heard 
one  of  the  sailors  say  just  now,  it  does  not  go  round  to  the 
aouth," 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  75 

*'  Bugler,  sound  companies  one,  two,  and  three  to 
breakfast/* 

The  order  interrupted  the  conversation,  and,  for  the 
next  hour,  the  boys  had  little  time  for  talk.  Half  the 
regiment  was  on  board  the  ^'Xancy,"  and,  after  breakfast, 
the  men  were  divided  into  three  watches,  of  which  one 
was  always  to  be  on  deck,  for  the  ship  was  very  crowded, 
and  there  was  scarcely  room  for  all  the  men  to  be  below 
together.  The  boys  were  in  the  same  watch,  for  the  day 
previous  to  starting  Tom  had  been  appointed  bugler  to  the 
2d  Company,  Peter  to  the  3d.  The  1st  Company,  or 
Grenadiers,  were  in  the  watch  w^ith  the  band,  the  2d  and 
3d  Companies  were  together,  and  the  4th  and  5th. 

Tom  was  very  ill  for  the  first  two  days  of  the  voyage, 
while  Peter  did  not  feel  the  slightest  effects  from  the  mo- 
tion. Upon  the  third  day  the  wind  dropped  suddenly, 
and  the  vessels  rolled  heavily  in  the  swell,  with  their  sails 
flapping  against  the  masts.  Tom  came  up  that  morning 
upon  deck  feeling  quite  well  again,  and  the  boys  were  im- 
mensely amused  at  seeing  the  attempts  of  the  soldiers  to 
move  about,  the  sudden  rushes,  and  the  heavy  falls.  A 
parade  had  been  ordered  to  take  place  ;  but  as  no  onf 
could  have  stood  steady  without  holding  on,  it  was  aban* 
doned  as  impossible.  The  men  sat  about  under  the  bul' 
warks,  and  a  few  amused  themselves  and  the  rest  by  trying 
to  play  various  games,  such  as  laying  a  penny  on  the  deck, 
and  seeing  which  would  pitch  another  to  lay  nearest  to  it, 
from  a  distance  of  five  yards.  The  difficulty  of  balancing 
oneself  in  a  heavily  rolling  vessel,  and  of  pitching  a  penn^ 
with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  is  gi'eat,  and  the  manner  in 
which  the  coins,  instead  of  coming  dov/n  flat  and  remain- 
ing there,  rolled  away  into  the  scuppers,  the  throwers  not 
unfrequently  following  them,  produced  fits  of  laughter. 

Tom  was  still  feeling  weak  from  his  two  days'  illness, 
and  was  not  disposed  actively  to  enter  into  the  fun  ;  but 
JPeter  enjoyed  the  heavy  rolling,  and  was  aU  over  the  ship. 


76  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

Presently  he  saw  Sam,  the  black  drummer,  sitting  in  a 
dark  corner  below  quietly  asleep  ;  his  cap  was  beside  him, 
and  the  idea  at  once  occurred  fco  Peter  that  here  was  a 
great  opportunity  for  a  joke.  He  made  his  way  to  the 
caboose,  and  begged  the  cook  to  give  him  a  handful  of 
flour.  The  cook  at  first  refused,  but  was  presently  coaxed 
into  doing  so,  and  Peter  stole  to  where  Sam  was  asleep, 
and  put  the  flour  into  his  cap,  relying  that,  in  the  dark- 
ness, Sam  would  put  it  on  without  noticing  it.  Then, 
going  up  to  the  deck  above,  Peter  put  his  head  down  the 
hatchway,  and  shouted  loudly,  '^  Sam  !  " 

The  negro  woke  at  the  sound  of  his  name.  '^  What  is 
it  ? ''  he  asked.  Receiving  no  reply,  he  got  on  to  his  feet, 
muttering,  "  Some  one  call  Sam,  that  for  certain,  can't  do 
without  Sam,  always  want  here,  want  there.  I  go  up  and 
see.'' 

So  saying,  he  put  on  his  cap,  and  made  his  way  up  to 
the  upper  deck.  As  he  stood  at  the  hatchway  and  looked 
round,  there  was,  first  a  titter,  and  then  a  roar  of  laughter 
from  the  men  sitting  or  standing  along  by  the  bulwarks. 
In  putting  on  his  cap  some  of  the  flour  had  fallen  out,  and 
had  streaked  his  face  v/ith  white.  Sam  was  utterly 
unconscious  that  he  was  the  object  of  the  laughter, 
and  said  to  one  of  the  men  nearest  to  him,  "  Who  call 
Sam?" 

The  man  could  not  reply,  but  Tom,  who  was  sitting 
close  by,  said,  ''  It  was  no  one  here,  Sam,  it  must  have 
been  the  bandmaster ;  there  he  is,  close  to  the  quarter- 
deck." 

Sam  made  his  way  along  towards  the  point  indicated, 
and  as  he  did  so  some  of  the  officers  upon  the  quarter-deck 
caught  sight  of  him.  ''  Just  look  at  Sambo,"  Carruthers 
exclaimed,  ''  somebody  has  been  larking  with  him  again. 
Look  how  all  the  men  are  laughing,  and  he  evidently  has 
no  suspicion  of  the  figure  he  is." 

The  sergeant,  who,  the  bandmaster  having  remained  at 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  77 

the  dep6t,  was  now  acting  as  chief  of  the  band,  did  not 
see  Sam  until  the  latter  was  close  to  him.  "  You  want 
me,  sergeant  ?  " 

Sergeant  Wilson  looked  up,  and  was  astonished. 
*'  What  on  earth  have  you  been  doing  to  yourself,  Sam  ?  " 
he  asked. 

^*  Me  been  having  little  nap  down  below,"  Sam  said. 

*' Yes  ;  but  your  face,  man.  What  have  you  been  doing 
to  your  face  ?  " 

Sam,  in  his  turn,  looked  astonished.  "  Nothing  what- 
someber,  sargeant." 

*'  Take  off  your  cap,  man,  and  look  inside  if  Sam 
did  as  ordered  ;  and  as  he  removed  the  cap,  and  the 
powder  fell  from  it  all  over  his  face  and  shoulders,  there 
was  a  perfect  shout  of  laughter  from  the  soldiers  and 
crew,  who  had  been  looking  on,  and  the  officers,  looking 
down  from  the  rail  of  the  quarter-deck,  retired  to  laugh 
unnoticed. 

The  astonishment  and  rage  of  Sam  were  unbounded, 
and  he  gave  a  perfect  yell  of  surprise  and  furyc  He 
stamped  wildly  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then,  with  a  sud- 
den movement  rushed  up  on  to  the  quarter-deck  with  his 
cap  in  his  hand.  The  colonel,  who  was  holding  on  by  the 
shrouds,  and  talking  with  the  major,  in  ignorance  of  what 
was  going  on,  was  perfectly  astounded  at  this  sudden  vision 
of  the  irate  negro,  and  neither  he  nor  the  major  could 
restrain  their  laughter. 

*'  Sense  me,  colonel,  sah,  for  de  liberty,"  Sam  burst  out ; 
"  but  look  at  me,  sah  ;  is  dis  right,  sah,  is  it  right  to  make 
joke  like  dis  on  de  man  dat  play  de  big  drum  of  de  regi- 
ment ?  " 

"  No,  no,  Sam  ;'  not  at  all  right,"  the  colonel  said,  with 
difficulty.  *'  If  you  report  who  has  played  the  trick  upon 
you,  I  shall  speak  to  him  very  seriously  ;  but,  Sam,  I 
should  have  thought  that  you  were  quite  big  enough  tf 
take  the  matter  in  your  own  hands." 


78  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

"  Me  big  enough,  Massah  Colonel,  me  plenty  big  ;  but 
me  not  able  to  find  him/' 

**  Well,  Sam,  it  is  carrying  a  joke  too  far ;  still,  it  is 
only  a  trick  off  duty,  and  I  am  afraid  that  it  is  beyond  my 
power  to  interfere." 

Sam  thought  for  a  moment,  and,  having  by  this  time 
cooled  down  from  his  first  paroxysm  of  rage,  he  said, 
"  Beg  pardon,  massa,  you  quite  right,  no  business  of  any 
one  but  Sam  ;  but  Sam  too  angry  to  'top  to  think.  Scuse 
liberty,  colonel,"  and  Sam  retired  from  the  quarter-deck, 
and  made  a  bolt  below  down  the  nearest  hatchway,  when 
he  plunged  his  head  into  a  bucket  of  water,  and  soon 
restored  it  to  its  usual  ebony  hue. 

Then  he  went  to  the  cook  and  tried  to  find  out  to  whom 
he  had  given  flour,  but  the  cook  replied  at  once,  "  Lor, 
I've  given  flour  to  the  men  of  each  mess  to  make  puddings 
of,  about  thirty  of  them,"  and  Sam  felt  as  far  off  as  ever. 

Presently,  however,  a  big  sailor  began  to  m-ake  fun  of 
him,  and  Sam  retorted  by  knocking  him  down,  after  which 
there  was  a  regular  fight,  which  was  carried  on  under  the 
greatest  difficulty,  owing  to  the  rolling  of  the  ship.  At 
last  Sambo  got  the  best  of  it,  and  this  restored  him  so 
thoroughly  to  a  good  temper  that  he  was  able  to  join  in 
the  laugh  at  himself,  reserving,  however,  his  right  to 
"  knock  de  rascal  who  did  it  into  a  squash." 

The  following  day  the  weather  changed,  a  wind  sprang 
up  nearly  from  the  north,  which  increased  rapidly,  until 
toward  afternoon  it  was  blowing  half  a  gale,  before  which 
the  whole  fleet,  with  their  main  and  topsails  set,  ran  south- 
ward at  great  speed.  A  heavy  cross  sea  was  running,  the 
waves  raised  by  the  gale  clashing  v/ith  the  heavy  swell  pre- 
viously rolling  in  from  the  westward,  and  so  violent  and 
sudden  were  the  lurches  and  rolls  of  the  ''  Nancy  "  that  the 
master  feared  that  her  masts  would  go. 

"How  tremendously  she  rolls,  Tom." 

**  Tremendously  ;  the  deck  seems  almost  upright,  and 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  79 

the  water  right  under  our  feet  each  time  she  goes  over.  She 
feels  as  if  she  Avere  going  to  turn  topsy-turvy  each  roll. 
It's  bad  enough  on  deck  ;  bat  it  will  be  worse  down  below/' 

*' A  great  deal  worse,  Peter,  it's  nearly  dark  already  ;  it 
will  strike  eight  bells  in  a  minute  or  two,  and  then  we  shall 
have  to  go  down.  There's  no  danger,  of  course,  of  the  ship 
turning  over,  but  it  won't  be  pleasant  down  below.  Look 
out,  Peter!" 

The  exclamation  was  caused  by  an  awful  crash.  The 
ship  had  given  a  tremendous  lurch,  when  the  long-boat, 
which  was  stowed  amidships,  suddenly  tore  away  from  its 
fastenings  and  came  crashing  down.  It  passed  within  three 
feet  of  where  the  boys  were  sitting,  and  completely  tore 
away  the  bulwark,  leaving  a  great  gap  in  the  side,  where 
it  had  passed  through.  "  Look,  Tom,  Sam's  overboard  ! " 
Peter  exclaimed. 

Sam  had  been  sitting  on  the  bulwark,  a  few  feet  from 
them,  holding  on  by  a  shroud,  when  the  boat  came  down 
upon  him ;  with  a  cry  he  had  let  go  of  the  shroud  and 
started  back,  falling  into  the  water  just  as  the  boat  struck 
the  bulwark.  ''  There  he  is,  Tom,"  Peter  said,  as  he  saw 
the  black  only  a  few  yards  from  the  side.  ''He  is  hurt, 
come  on,"  catching  up  the  end  of  a  long  rope  coiled  up  on 
the  deck  close  to  their  feet,  the  boys  jumped  overboard  to- 
gether. A  dozen  strokes  took  them  up  to  Sam  ;  but  the 
black  hull  of  the  ship  had  already  glanced  past  them.  They 
could  hear  loud  shouts,  but  could  not  distinguish  a  word. 

"  Quick,  round  him,  Peter  ! "  and,  in  a  moment,  the  boys 
twisted  the  rope  round  the  body  of  the  black,  and  knotted 
it  just  as  the  drag  of  the  ship  tightened  it.  Thus  Sam's 
safety  was  secured,  but  the  strain  was  so  tremendous  as 
they  tore  through  the  water,  that  it  was  impossible  for  the 
boys  to  hold  on,  and,  in  a  moment,  they  were  torn  from 
their  hold. 

''  All  right,  Peter,"  Tom  said  cheerily,  as  they  dashed 
the  water  from  their  eyes,  "  there  is  the  boat." 


go  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

The  remains  of  the  boat  were  not  ten  yards  distant,  and 
in  a  few  strokes  they  had  gained  it.  It  was  stove  in  and 
broken,  but  still  held  together,  floating  on  a  level  with  the 
water's  edge.  With  some  trouble  the  boys  got  inside  her, 
aud  sat  down  on  the  bottom,  so  that  their  heads  were  just 
out  of  water. 

Then  they  had  time  to  look  round.  The  ship  was  already 
disappearing  in  the  gathering  darkness. 

*^This  boat  will  soon  go  to  pieces,  Tom,''  was  Peter's 
first  remark. 

'^  I  expect  it  will,  Peter  ;  but  we  must  stick  to  its  pieces. 
We  had  better  get  off  our  boots.  The  water  is  pretty  warm, 
that's  one  comfort." 

'*  Do  you  think  the  ship  will  come  back  for  us,  Tom  ?'' 

"  I  don't  think  she  can,  Peter  ;  at  any  rate,  it  is  certain 
she  can't  find  us,  it  would  take  a  long  time  to  bring  her 
round,  and  then,  you  see,  she  could  not  sail  straight  back 
against  the  wind." 

"  Look  here,  Tom,  I  remember  when  I  climbed  up  to 
look  into  the  boats  yesterday  that  there  were  some  little 
casks  lashed  under  the  seats,  and  a  sailor  told  m.e  they  were 
always  kept  full  of  water  in  case  the  boats  were  wanted 
suddenly.  If  they  are  still  there  we  might  empty  them  out, 
and  they  could  keep  us  afloat  any  time." 

''  Hurrah  I  Peter,  capital,  let's  see." 

To  their  great  delight  the  boys  found  four  small  water- 
kegs  fastened  under  the  seats.  Three  of  these  they  emptied, 
and  fastening  one  of  them  to  that  -which  they  had  left  full, 
and  then  each  taking  hold  of  one  of  the  slings  which  were 
fastened  to  the  kegs  for  convenience  of  carriage,  they  waited 
quietly.  In  less  than  ten  minutes  from  the  time  when 
they  first  gained  their  frail  refuge,  a  great  wave  broke  just 
upon  them,  and  completely  smashed  up  the  remains  of  the 
boat.  They  had  cut  off  some  rope  from  the  mast,  which 
they  found  with  its  sail  furled  ready  for  use  in  the  boat, 
and  now  roughly  lashed  themselves  together,  face  to  face, 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  81 

80 that  they  had  a  keg  on  each  side.  They  had  also  fastened 
a  long  piece  of  rope  to  the  other  kegs,  so  that  they  would 
float  near  them. 

It  was  a  long  and  terrible  night  for  them,  generally  their 
heads  and  chests  were  well  above  the  water,  but  at  times  a 
wave  would  break  with  its  white  crest,  and,  for  a  time,  the 
foam  weald  be  ever  their  heads.  Fortunately  the  water 
was  warm,  and  the  wind  fell  a  good  deal.  The  boys  talked 
occasionally  to  each  ether,  and  kept  up  each  other's  courage. 
Once  or  twice,  inipite  ci  the  heavy  sea,  they  were  so  much 
overcome  with  exhaustion  that  they  dozed  uneasily  for  a 
while,  with  their  heads  upon  each  other's  shoulders,  and 
great  was  their  feeling  of  relief  and  pleasure  when  morning 
began  to  break. 

'*  It  is  going  to  be  a  splendid  day,  Peter,  and  the  wind 
is  dropping  fast/' 

*'  Look,  Tom/'  Peter  said,  "  there  are  some  of  the  planks 
of  the  boat  Jammed  in  with  the  kegs." 

It  was  as  Peter  said  ;  the  two  kegs,  one  empty  and  the 
other  full,  were  floating  about  ten  yards  off,  at  the  length 
of  the  rope  by  which  they  were  attached  to  the  boys,  while 
with  them  was  a  confused  mass  of  wreckage  of  the  boat. 
"  That  is  capital,  Peter,  we  will  see  if  we  can't  make  a  raft 
presently." 

As  the  sun  rose  and  warmed  the  air,  the  boys  strength 
and  spirits  revived,  and  in  a  few  hours  they  were  so  re- 
freshed that  they  determined  to  set  about  their  raft.  The 
wind  had  now  entirely  dropped,  the  waves  were  still  very 
high,  but  they  came  in  long,  smooth,  regular  swells,  over 
which  they  rose  and  fell  almost  imperceptibly. 

"  They  must  be  rolling  a  good  deal  more  in  the  '  Nancy ' 
than  we  are  here,  Peter.  Now,  the  first  thing  is  to  have  a 
drink.  What  a  blessing  it  is  we  have  water."  With  their 
knives  they  soon  got  the  bung  out  of  the  water-keg,  and 
each  took  along  drink,  and  then  carefully  closed  it  up  again. 

'*  There,  Peter,  we  have  drunk  m  much  as  we  w^nt^ 


82  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

this  time ;  but  we  must  be  careful,  there  is  no  saying  how 
long  we  may  be  before  we  are  picked  up.  Hurrah,  Peter, 
here  are  the  masts  and  sails,  so  we  shall  have  plenty  of 
cord." 

It  took  the  boys  nearly  three  hours  to  complete  their  task 
to  their  satisfaction.  When  it  was  concluded  they  had  the 
three  empty  kegs  lashed  in  a  triangle  about  five  feet  apart, 
while  two  planks  crossing  the  triangle,  assisted  to  keep  all 
firm  anl  tight ;  floating  in  the  center  of  the  triangle  was 
the  keg  of  water.  ''  There,  I  don't  think  we  can  improve 
that,  Peter,''  Tom  said  at  last,"  now,  let  us  get  on  and 
try  it."  They  did  so,  and,  to  their  great  delight,  found 
that  it  floated  a  few  inches  above  water.  "  We  may  as 
well  get  the  masts  on  board,  Peter,  and  let  the  sails  tow 
alongside.  They  may  come  in  useful ;  and  now  the  first 
thing  is  to  dry  ourselves  and  our  clothes." 

The  clothes  were  soon  spread  out  to  dry,  and  the  boys 
luxuriated  in  the  warmth  of  the  sun. 

'*  What  great,  smooth  waves  these  are,  Tom,  sometimes 
we  are  down  in  a  valley  which  runs  miles  long,  and  then 
we  are  up  on  a  hill." 

"  Here  we  lay,  all  the  day,  in  the  bay  of  Biscay,  oh  !'* 
Tom  laughed.  "  I  only  hope  that  the  wished-for  morrow 
may  bring  the  sail  in  sight,  Peter.  However,  we  can  hold 
on  for  a  few  days,  I  suppose.  That  is  a  four-gallon  keg, 
so  that  we  have  got  a  quart  of  water  each  for  eight  days, 
and  hunger  isn't  so  bad  to  b«ar  as  thirst.  We  have  pretty 
well  done  for  our  uniforms,  our  bugles  are  the  only  things 
that  have  not  suffered." 

For  the  boys'  companies  being  on  deck  at  the  time  of 
the  accident,  they  both  had  their  bugles  on  when  they 
jumped  overboard. 

"  Our  last  upset  was  when  that  bargee  canted  us  over  at 
Eton,  rather  a  different  business  that,  Peter." 

''  My  shirt  is  not  dry  yet,  Tom  ;  but  I  shall  put  it  on 
ftgain,  for  the  sun  is  too  hot  to  be  pleasant." 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLEItS.  8S 

Tom  followed  Peter's  example. 

''  Do  you  think,  Tom,  that  we  had  better  try  to  got  up 
a  sort  of  sail  and  make  for  land,  or  remain  where  W9 
are?" 

'^  Remain  where  we  are,  Peter,  I  should  say.  I  suppose 
We  must  be  a  hundred  miles  from  the  French  coast,  and 
even  if  the  wind  blew  fair  we  should  be  a  long  time  get- 
ting there,  and  with  the  certainty  of  a  prison  when  W9 
arrived.  Still,  if  there  were  a  strong  west  wind,  I  suppose 
it  would  be  our  best  way ;  as  it  is  we  have  nothing  to  do 
but  to  wait  quietly,  and  hope  for  a  ship.  We  are  in  the 
right  line,  and  there  must  be  lots  of  vessels  on  their  way, 
besides  those  which  sailed  with  us,  for  Portsmouth.  So  we 
must  keep  watch  and  watch.  Now,  .Peter,  you  lie  down 
on  that  plank,  it  is  just  about  long  enough,  you  shall  har© 
two  hours'  sleep,  and  then  I'll  have  two,  after  that  we  will 
have  four  hours  each." 

'^  How  are  we  to  count  time  ?  "  Peter  said  laughing. 

'^  I  never  thought  of  that,"  Tom  said,  looking  at  his 
watch.  '*  Of  course  it  has  stopped.  We  must  guess  a« 
near  as  we  can ;  at  any  rate,  you  go  to  sleep  first,  and, 
when  I  am  too  sleepy  to  keep  watch  any  longer,  I  will  wake 
you  up." 

So  passed  that  day  and  the  next  night.  A  light  breeze 
sprung  up  from  the  southwest,  and  the  sun  again  shone 
out  brightly. 

''I  feel  as  if  I  wanted  breakfast  horribh^"  Peter  said, 
with  an  attempt  at  a  smile.  "  Do  you  think  that  there  is 
any  possibility  of  catching  anything  ?  " 

*' We" have  nothing  to  make  hooks  with,  Peter,  and  noth- 
ing to  bait  them  with  if  we  had." 

'^  There  are  lots  of  tiny  fish  swimming  all  about,  Tom, 
if  we  could  but  catch  them." 

Tom  was  silent  for  awhile  ;  then  he  said,  '*  Look  hert, 
Peter.  Let  us  cut  a  piece  off  the  sail  about  five  feet  long, 
ftnd  say  three  feet  wide,  double  it  longways,  and  sew  up 


84  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLEB3, 

the  ends  so  as  to  make  a  bag ;  we  caii  unravel  some  string, 
and  make  holes  with  onr  knives.  Then  we  can  sink  it 
down  two  or  three  feet,  and  watch  it ;  and  when  we  see 
that  some  little  fish  have  got  in  it,  we  can  draw  it  up  ver  j 
gently,  and,  by  raising  it  gradually  from  the  sea,  the  watf r 
will  run  out,  and  we  shall  catch  the  fish/' 

Peter  agreed  that  at  any  rate  it  was  worth  trying  ;  for, 
even  if  it  did  not  succeed,  it  was  better  for  them  to  be  do- 
ing something  than  sitting  idle.  The  sail  and  the  floating 
"wreckage  were  pulled  alongside,  and  the  boys  set  to  work. 
In  three  hours  a  large '  and  shallow  bag  was  made,  with 
some  improvements  upon  Tom's  original  plan.  The  mouth 
was  kept  open  by  two  crossed  pieces  of  wood,  and  four 
cords  from  the  corners  were  attached  to  the  end  of  the 
oar  which  formed  their  fishing-rod.  At  last  it  was  finished, 
and  the  bag  lowered. 

To  the  horror  of  the  boys,  it  was  discovered  that  it  would 
not  sink.  They  were  ready  to  cry  with  vexation,  for  the 
want  of  food  had  made  them  feel  faint  and  weak. 

"  What  have  we  got  that  is  heavy  ? "  Tom  asked  in 
despair. 

"  I  have  got  fourpence  in  halfpence,  Tom,  and  there  are 
our  knives  and  watches.'' 

Their  pockets  were  ransacked,  and  the  halfpence,  knives^ 
and  watches  were  placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  bag  and  low- 
ered.    Still  the  wood-work  kept  afloat. 

"There  are  the  bugles,  Tom,"  Peter  cried  in  delight. 
These  had  been  fastened  to  the  raft,  and  were  now  hastily 
untied  and  placed  in  the  canvas  bag. 

It  sank  now,  and  the  boys  lowered  it  five  or  six  feet,  so 
that  they  could  partly  see  into  it.  "  There  are  lots  of 
little  fish  swimming  about,  Tom,"  Peter  said  in  a  whisper. 
''Some  are  almost  as  long  as  one's  hand.  Do  you  think 
that  they  will  go  in,  Tom  ?" 

"  I  hope  the  glitter  of  the  bugles  and  watches  will  attract 
them*  Peter." 


THE  YOUNG  BUOLERS.  85 

'*  There,  Tom,  there — I  saw  a  whole  swarm  of  little  ones 
go  in/' 

"Wait  a  minute  or  two,  Peter,  to  let  them  get  well 
down,  and  then  draw  np  as  quietly  as  possible." 

Very  cautiously  the  boys  raised  the  point  of  their  rod 
until  the  top  of  the  square-mouthed  bag  was  level  with  the 
surface  ;  then  they  brought  it  close  to  them  and  looked  in. 
and  as  they  did  so  gave  a  simultaneous  cheer.  There,  in 
the  bottom  of  the  canvas,  two  feet  below  them,  were  a 
number  of  little  fish  moving  about.  Raising  the  rod  still 
higher,  they  gradually  lifted  the  net  out  of  the  sea,  the 
water  running  quickly  off  as  they  did  so,  and  then  they 
proceeded  to  examine  their  prize. 

"We  will  take  out  one  and  one,  Peter  ;  give  them  a  nip 
as  you  take  them  up,  that  wiH  kill  them."  There  were 
two  fish  of  about  three  inches  long,  another  three  or  four 
of  two  inches,  and  some  thirty  or  forty  the  size  of  minnows. 
It  was  scarcely  more  than  a  mouthful  each,  but  it  was  a 
stay  for  a  moment  to  their  stomachs,  and  no  one  ever  said 
a  tHanksgiving  with  deeper  feeling  and  heartiness  than  did 
the  boys  when  they  had  emptied  their  canvas  net. 

"We  need  not  be  anxious  about  food  now,  Peter ;  if  we 
can  catch  these  in  five  minutes,  we  can  get  enough  each 
day  to  satisfy  us.  They  quench  the  thirst  too.  We  must 
limit  ourselves  to  half  a  pint  of  water  a  day,  and  we  can 
hold  on  for  a  fortnight.  We  are  safe  to  be  picked  up  be- 
fore that." 

All  the  afternoon  and  evening  the  boys  continued  to  let 
down  and  draw  up  their  net,  sometimes  bringing  in  only 
a  few  tiny  fish,  sometimes  getting  half  a  dozen  of  the 
larger  kind.  By  nightfall  they  had  satisfied  the  cravings  of 
hunger,  and  felt  stronger  and  better.  One  or  two  sails  had 
been  seen  during  the  day,  but  always  at  such  distances  that 
it  was  evident  at  once  that  they  could  not  pass  within  haiL 
That  night,  fatigued  with  their  exertions,  both  laid  down 
fUid  went  to  sleep  until  morning,  and  slept  more  comfort- 


gg  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

ably  than  before  ;  for  they  had  fastened  a  piece  of  the  sail 
tightly  on  the  top  of  the  raft,  and  lay  softly  suspended  in 
that,  instead  of  being  balanced  upon  a  narrow  and  uncom- 
fortable  plank.  They  felt  new  creatures  when  they  woke, 
pulled  up  their  net,  had  a  mouthful  of  raw  fish,  took  off 
their  clothes,  and  had  a  swim,  and  then  set  to  earnestly  to 
fish.  The  sun  was  brighter,  and  the  fish  in  consequence 
kept  deeper  than  upon  the  preceding  day  ;  still  by  evening 
they  had  caught  enough  to  take  the  edge  off,  if  not  to 
satisfy,  their  hunger.  The  fishing,  however,  during  the 
last  hours  of  daylight  was  altogether  neglected,  for  behind 
them  they  could  see  a  sail,  which  appeared  as  if  it  might 
possibly  come  close  enough  to  observe  them.  There  was 
still  the  long,  steady  swell  coming  in  from  the  Atlantic, 
and  a  light  breeze  was  blowing  from  the  north.  The  boys 
had  been  so  intent  upon  tlieir  fishing,  that  they  had  not 
noticed  her  until  she  was  within  nine  or  ten  miles  of  them. 
"  She  will  not  be  up  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  Peter,"  Tom 
said,  ''  and  the  sun  will  be  down  long  before  that.  I  fear 
that  the  chance  of  their  seeing  us  is  very  small  indeed. 
However,  we  will  try.  Let  us  get  the  net  out  of  the  water, 
and  hold  it  and  the  oar  up.  It  is  possible  that  some  one 
may  see  the  canvas  with  a  telescope  before  the  sun  goes 
down.     Take  the  things  out  of  the  net." 

The  oar  with  the  canvas  bag  was  elevated,  and  the  boys 
anxiously  watched  the  course  of  the  vessel.  She  was  a 
large  ship,  but  they  could  only  see  her  when  they  rose  up- 
on the  top  of  the  long  smooth  waves.  ''  I  should  think  that 
she  will  pass  within  a  mile  of  us,  Peter,"  Tom  said,  after 
half  an  hour's  watching,  ''  but  I  fear  that  she  will  not  be 
much  closer.  How  unfortunate  she  had  not  come  along 
an  hour  earlier.  She  would  have  been  sure  to  see  us 
if  it  had  been  daylight.  ■  I  don't  think  that  there  is  much 
chance  now,  for  there  is  no  moon.  However,  thank  God, 
we  can  hold  on  very  well  now,  and  next  time  we  may  have 
better  luck/* 


Y.B.       *'  The  Boys  anxiously  watched  thb  ....  Vessel."— Page  86. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  87 

The  sun  had  set  more  than  half  an  hour  before  the  ship 
came  abreast  of  them.  Thej  had  evidently  not  been 
seen. 

*'Now,  Peter/'  Tom  said,  '^let  us  both  hallo  together  ; 
the  wind  is  very  light,  and  it  is  just  possible  they  may  hear 
us." 

Again  and  again  the  boys  shouted,  but  the  ship  sailed 
steadily  on.  Peter  dashed  the  tears  aside,  and  Tom  said, 
with  a  quiver  in  his  voice,  ''  Never  mind,  Peter  ;  better 
luck  next  time,  old  boy.  God  has  been  so  good  to  us,  that 
I  feel  quite  confident  we  shall  be  saved.*' 

'^  So  do  I,  Tom,''  Peter  said.  *'  It  was  only  a  disappoint- 
ment for  a  minute.  We  may  as  well  put  the  oar  down, 
for  my  arm  and  back  ache  holding  it." 

*'  Mind  how  you  do  it,  Peter.  If  we  let  the  end  go 
through  the  canvas,  we  shall  lose  our  watches  and  bugles, 
and  then  we  shall  not  be  able  to  fish." 

''Oh,  Tom,  the  bugles!" 

"  What,  Peter  ?  "  Tom  said,  astonished. 

"  We  can  make  them  hear,  Tom,  don't  you  see  ?" 

"  Hurrah,  Peter  !  so  we  can.  What  a  fool  I  was  to  for- 
get it!" 

In  a  moment  the  bugles  rang  out  the  assembly  acrosa 
the  water.  Again  and  again  the  sharp,  clear  sound  rose 
on  the  quiet  evening  air. 

"  Look,  Peter,  there  are  men  going  up  the  rigging  to 
look  round.     Sound  again  ! " 

Again  and  again  they  sounded  the  call,  and  then  they 
saw  the  ship's  head  come  round,  and  her  bow  put  towards 
them,  and  then  they  fell  on  their  knees  and  thanked  God 
that  they  were  saved. 

In  ten  minutes  the  ship  was  close  to  them,  thrown  up 
into  the  wind,  a  boat  was  lowered,  and  in  another  minute 
or  two  was  alongside. 

*'  Hallo  !"  the  officer  in  charge  exclaimed,  ''two  boys, 
all  alone.    Here,  help  them  in,  lads — that's  it  \  now  puU 


88  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

for  the  ship.     Here,  boys,  take  a  little  brandy  from  this 
flask.     How  long  have  you  been  on  that  raft  ?  '* 

"  It  is  three  days  since  we  went  overboard,  sir  ;  but  we 
"were  in  the  water  for  about  eighteen  hours  before  we  made 
the  raft.'' 

Tom  and  Peter  drank  a  little  brandy,  and  felt  better  for 
it  ;  but  they  were  weaker  than  they  thought,  for  they  had 
to  be  helped  up  the  side  of  the  ship.  A  number  of  officers 
■were  grouped  round  the  gangway,  and  the  boys  saw  that 
they  were  on  board  a  vessel  of  war. 

"Only  these  boys?"  asked  the  captain  in  surprise  of 
the  officer  who  had  brought  them  on  board. 

"That  is  all,  sir.'' 

"  Doctor,  you  had  better  see  to  them,"  the  captain  said. 
*^  If  they  are  strong  enough  to  talk,  after  they  have  had 
some  soup,  let  them  come  to  my  cabin  ;  if  not,  let  them 
turn  in  in  the  sick  bay,  and  I  will  see  them  in  the  morn- 
ing. One  question  though,  boys.  Are  there  any  others 
about — any  one  for  me  to  look  for  or  pick  up  ?  " 

"No  one  else,  sir,"  Tom  said,  and  then  followed  the 
doctor  aft.  A  basin  of  sTJup  and  a  glass  of  sherry  did 
wonders  for  the  boys,  and  in  an  hour  they  proceeded  to 
the  captain's  cabin,  dressed  in  clothes  which  the  doctor 
had  borrowed  from  two  of  the  midshipmen  for  them,  fo^ 
their  own  could  never  be  worn  again  ;  indeed,  they  had 
not  brought  their  jackets  from  the  raft,  those  garments 
having  shrunk  so  from  the  water,  that  the  boys  had  not 
been  able  to  put  them  on  again,  after  first  taking  them  off 
to  dry. 

The  doctor  accompanied  them,  and  in  the  captain's  cabin 
they  found  the  first  lieutenant,  who  had  been  in  charge  of 
the  boat  which  picked  them  up. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  looking -so  much  better,"  the 
captain  said  as  they  entered.  "  Sit  down.  Do  you  know," 
he  went  on  with  a  smile,  "  I  do  not  think  that  any  of  us 
"Would  have  slept  had  you  not  recovered  sufficiently  to  tell 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  89 

your  story  to-niglit.  We  have  been  puzzling  over  it  iu 
vain.  How  you  two  boys  came  to  be  adrift  alone  on  a 
raft,  made  up  of  three  water-kegs,  as  Mr.  Armstrong  tells 
me,  and  how  you  came  to  have  two  bugles  with  you  on  the 
raft,  is  altogether  beyond  us.'" 

"  The  last  matter  is  easily  explained,  sir,"  Tom  said. 
'*  My  brother  and  myself  are  buglers  in  H.  M.'s  Eegiment 
of  Norfolk  Rangers,  and  as  we  were  on  duty  when,  we 
went  overboard,  we  had  our  bugles  slung  over  our  shoul- 
ders." 

*^  Buglers  !"  the  captain  said  in  surprise.  ''Why  from 
jTour  appearance  and  mode  of  expressing  yourselves,  I  take 
you  to  be  gentlemen's  sons." 

''  So  we  are,  sir,"  Tom  said  quietly,  "and  Ihopegentle- 
Aien — at  any  rate  we  have  been  Etonians.  But  we  have 
lost  our  father,  ^nd  are  now  buglers  in  the  Rangers." 

"  Well,  lads,"  the  captain  said  after  a  pause,  ''  and  now 
tell  us  how  you  came  upon  this  little  raft  ?  " 

Tom  related  modestly  the  story  of  their  going  overboard 
from  the  "  Xanc}-,"  of  the  formation  of  the  raft,  and  of 
their  after  proceedings.  Their  hearers  were  greatly  as- 
tonished at  the  story  ;  and  the  captain  said,  ''  Young 
gentlemen,  you  have  done  a  very  gallant  action,  and  have 
behaved  with  a  coolness  and  bravery  which  would  have  done 
credit  to  old  sailors.  Had  your  father  been  alive  he  might 
have  been  proud  indeed  of  you.  I  should  be  proud  had 
you  been  my  sons.  If  you  are  disposed  to  change  services 
I  will  write  directly  we  reach  the  Tagus  to  obtain  your  dis- 
charge, and  will  give  you  midshipmen's  berths  on  board 
this  ship.  Don't  answer  now  ;  you  can  think  it  over  by 
the  time  we  reach  Portugal.  I  will  not  detain  you  now  ; 
a  night's  rest  will  set  you  up.  Mr.  Armstrong  will  intro- 
duce you  to  the  midshipmen  to-morrow  ;  you  are  passen- 
gers here  now,  and  will  mess  with  them.     Good-night." 

It  was  not  many  minutes  before  the  boys  were  asleep  in 
their  hammocks.     If  people's  ears  really  tingle  when  thej 


90  THE  YOUNG  BlrfsfLER8» 

are  being  spoken  about,  Tom  and  Peter  would  have  had 
but  little  sleep  that  night.  The  first  lieutenant  related 
the  circumstances  to  the  other  lieutenants  ;  the  second 
lieutenant,  whose  watch  it  was,  told  the  gunner,  who  re- 
lated it  to  the  petty  officers  ;  the  doctor  told  his  mates, 
who  retailed  the  story  to  the  midshipmen  ;  and  so  gradually 
it  went  over  the  whole  ship,  and  officers  and  men  agreed 
that  it  was  one  of  the  pluckiest  and  coolest  things  ever 
done. 

The  boys  slept  until  nearly  breakfast  time,  and  were 
just  dressed  when  Mr.  Armstrong  came  for  them  and  took 
them  to  the  midshipmen's  berth,  where  they  were  received 
with  a  warmth  and  heartiness  which  quite  surprised  them. 
The  midshipmen  and  mates  pressed  forward  to  shake  hands 
with  them,  and  the  stiflingly  close  little  cock-pit  was  the 
scene  of  an  ovation.  The  boys  were  quite  glad  when  the 
handshaking  was  over,  and  they  sat  down  to  the  rough 
tneal  which  was  then  usual  among  midshipmen.  As  the 
vessel  had  only  left  England  four  days  before,  the  fare  was 
better  than  it  would  have  been  a  week  later,  for  there  was 
butter,  cold  ham  and  tongue  upon  the  table.  After  breaks 
fast  they  were  asked  to  tell  the  story  over  again,  and  this 
they  did  with  great  modesty.  Many  questions  were  asked, 
and  it  was  generally  regretted  that  they  were  not  sailors. 
Upon  going  up  on  deck  there  was  quite  an  excitement 
among  the  sailors  to  get  a  look  at  them,  and  the  gunner 
and  other  petty  officers  came  up  and  shook  hands  with 
them  heartily,  and  the  boys  wished  from  the  depths  oi 
their  hearts  that  people  would  not  make  such  a  fuss  about 
nothing  ;  for,  as  Tom  said  to  Peter,  ''  Of  course  we  should 
not  have  jumped  overboard  if  we  had  thought  that  we 
could  not  have  kept  hold  of  the  rope.'' 

That  day  they  dined  in  the  cabin  with  the  captain,  who., 
after  the  officers  present  had  withdrawn,  asked  them  it 
they  would  tell  him  about  their  past  lives.  This  the  bo/« 
did  frankly,  and  took  the  opportunity  of  explaining  iai&t 


TBS  YOUNG  BUOLEItB,  W 

they  had  chosen  the  army  because  the  enemies'  fleet  hav- 
ing been  destroyed,  there  was  less  chance  of  active  service 
in  the  navy  than  with  the  army  just  starting  for  Lisbon, 
and  that  their  nncle  havmg  commanded  the  regiment  that 
they  were  in,  they  had  entered  it,  and  had  received  so 
mnch  kindness  that  they  had  fair  reason  to  hope  that  they 
would  eventually  obtain  commissions  Hence,  while  thank- 
ing him  most  warmly  for  his  ofter,  tb  y  had  decided  to  go 
on  in  the  path  that  th^y  had  cho33n. 

The  captain  remarked  that,  after  what  they  had  said, 
although  he  should  have  been  glad  to  have  them  with  him, 
he  thought  that  they  had  decided  rightly. 

The  next  morning,  when  the  boys  woke,  they  were  sur- 
prised at  the  absence  of  any  motion  of  the  vessel,  and  upon 
going  on  deck  they  found  that  they  were  running  up  the 
TaguSf  aad  tiiAt  tobon  was  in  sight. 


02  THE  YOUNG  SUGLSRB^ 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PORTUGAL. 

The  boys  were  delighted  with  the  appearance  of  the 
Tagus,  covered  as  it  now  was  with  a  fleet  of  transports  and 
merchantmen.  As  they  were  looking  at  it,  the  officer  com- 
manding the  marines  on  board,  who  had  talked  a  good  deal 
to  them  upon  the  preceding  day,  came  up  to  them.  ''  I 
thought  that  you  would  be  in  a  fix  about  clothes,  my  lads," 
he  said.  *'  You  could  not  very  well  join  in  these  midship- 
man's uniforms,  so  I  set  the  tailor  yesterday  to  cut  down  a 
couple  of  spare  suits  of  my  corps.  The  buttons  will  not 
be  right,  but  you  can  easily  alter  that  when  you  join. 
You  had  better  go  below  at  once  and  see  if  the  things  fit 
pretty  well.  I  have  told  the  tailor  to  take  them  to  the 
cock-pit  and  if  they  do  not  fit  they  can  alter  them  at  once." 

Thanking  the  officer  very  much  for  his  thoughtful 
kindness,  and  much  relieved  in  mind — for  they  had  already 
been  wondering  what  they  should  do — the  boys  ran 
below,  and  found  that  the  tailor  had  guessed  their  sizes 
pretty  correctly,  aided  as  he  had  been  by  the  trousers  they 
had  worn  when  they  came  on  board.  A  few  alterations 
were  necessary,  and  these  he  promised  to  get  finished  in  a 
couple  of  hours.  They  had  scarcely  gone  on  deck  again 
when  the  anchor  was  let  fall,  and  a  boat  was  lowered,  in 
order  that  the  captain  might  proceed  to  shore  with  the 
despatches  of  which  he  was  the  bearer. 

Just  as  he  was  upon  the  point  of  leaving  the  deck,  his 
eye  fell  upon  the  boys.  *'  I  shall  be  back  again  in  an  hour 
crtwo,"  he  said;  ''do  not  leave  until  I  return.    I  will 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  '  93 

find  out  where  your  regiment  is,  and  if  it  has  marched  I 
■will  give  you  a  certificate  of  how  I  picked  you  u]3,  other- 
wise you  may  be  stopped  on  the  way,  and  get  into  a  scrape 
as  two  boys  who  have  strayed  away  from  their  regiment." 

So  saying,  the  captain  got  into  his  boat  and  rowed  to 
shore.  It  was  one  o'clock  before  he  returned.  The  boya 
had  dinner  with  the  gunroom  officers,  then  changed  their 
dress,  and  had  now  the  appearance  of  buglers  in  the 
marines. 

The  captain  at  once  sent  for  them.  '^  Your  regiment 
went  on  yesterday  with  the  rest  of  the  division.  It  halts 
to-day  ten  miles  out  of  the  town.  There  is  the  certificate 
I  spoke  of.  Mr.  Armstrong  is  just  going  off  with  two  boats' 
crew  to  assist  in  unloading  stores ;  I  have  asked  him  to 
hand  you  over  to  the  charge  of  some  officer  going  up  with 
9k  convoy.  And  now  good-bye,  lads.  I  wish  you  every 
Juck,  and  hope  that  some  day  or  other  you  may  win  your 
epaulets. '^ 

With  renewed  thanks  for  his  kindness,  the  boys  went 
tip  on  deck.  There  they  shook  hands  and  said  good-bye 
to  all  the  officers  and  midshipmen.  As  they  were  waiting 
while  the  boats  were  being  lowered,  two  of  the  sailors  went 
aft  to  the  captain,  who  had  come  up  from  below  and  was 
walking  alone  on  the  quarter-deck,  and,  with  a  touch  of 
the  hat,  the  spokesman  said,  ^^  Your  honor,  we're  come  to 
ax  as  how,  if  your  honor  has  no  objection,  we  might  just 
give  a  parting  cheer  to  those  'ere  youngsters." 

''Well,  Jones,"  the  captain  said,  smiling,  ''it's  rather 
an  unusual  thing  for  the  crew  of  one  of  His  Majesty's  ships 
to  cheer  two  young  soldiers." 

'*  It  is  unusual,  your  honor,  mighty  unusual,  because 
soldiers  ain't  in  general  of  much  account  at  sea  ;  but  you 
see,  your  honor,  this  ain't  a  usual  circumstance,  nohow. 
These  here  boys,  which  ain't  much  more  than  babbies, 
have  done  what  there  ain't  many  men,  not  even  of  those 
who  are  born  and  bred  to  the  sea,  would  hav©  done  j  and 


94  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS. 

we  should  just  like  to  give  them  a  bit  of  a  cheer  for  good 
luck/* 

''  Very  well,  Jones,  tell  the  men  they  can  do  as  they 
like/* 

Accordingly,  as  the  boys  took  their  seats  in  the  boat  they 
were  surprised  at  seeing  the  crew  clustering  to  the  side  of 
the  ship,  while  some  of  the  men  ran  up  the  rigging. 

''What  can  the  men  be  up  to  ?"  Tom  asked  Mr.  Arm- 
strong in  surprise. 

The  lieutenant  smiled,  for  he  knew  what  was  coming. 

'^  Sheer  off,  men,''  he  said,  and  as  he  did  so  the  boatswain 
of  the  ship  gave  the  word,  *'  Now,  lads,  three  cheers  for 
them  boys ;  may  they  have  the  luck  they  deserve.** 

Three  thundering  cheers  burst  from  the  whole  crew,  the 
men  in  the  boats  tossing  their  oars  in  the  naval  fashion  of 
acknowledgment  of  the  salute.  Tom  and  Peter,  astonished 
and  affected,  stood  up,  took  off  their  caps,  and  waved  their 
hands  in  thanks  to  the  crowd  of  faces  looking  down  upon 
them,  and  then  sat  down  again  and  wiped  their  eyes. 

"  Row  on/*  the  lieutenant  said,  and  the  oars  fell  in  the 
water  with  a  splash  ;  one  more  cheer  arose,  and  then  the 
boats  rowed  for  the  landing-place.  The  boys  were  too 
much  affected  to  look  up  or  speak,  until  they  reached  the 
shore,  nor  did  they  notice  a  boat  which  rowed  past  them 
upon  its  way  to  the  vessel  they  had  left,  just  after  they  had 
started.  It  contained  an  officer  in  a  general's  uniform. 
The  boat  steered  to  the  ship's  side,  and  the  officer  ascended 
the  ladder.  The  captain  was  on  deck.  ''Ah,  Craufurd," 
he  said,  "this  is  an  unexpected  pleasure." 

"  I  have  just  come  back  from  my  division  for  a  few  hours, 
Merivale  ;  there  are  a  lot  of  stores  which  are  essential,  and 
some  of  my  artillery  is  not  landed,  so  I  thought  I  could 
hurry  things  up  a  bit.  My  spare  charger,  and  most  of  the 
chargers  of  my  staff,  are  being  landed,  too  ;  the  ship  they 
came  in  was  a  day  or  two  late  ;  and  as  I  had  to  confer  with 
the  Portuguese  Minister  of  War,  I  am  killing  a  good  many 


TEE  rOTTNG  BUGLERS,  95 

birds  with  one  stone.  I  heard  you  had  jnst  come  in,  and 
as  I  was  on  board  the  ^'  Clio ''  about  my  charger,  I  thought 
it  would  not  be  much  out  of  my  way  to  run  round  and 
shake  hands  with  you." 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  did.  Come  into  my  cabin ;  you 
can  spare  time  to  take  some  lunch,  I  hope.'' 

While  they  were  at  lunch  General  Craufurd  remarked, 
**  So  you  have  just  lost  one  of  your  officers,  I  see  ;  promoted 
to  another  ship,  eh  ?  '* 

"  Lost  an  officer  !  '*  Captain  Merivale  said  in  surprise. 
**  No,  not  that  I  K^ve  heard  of.     What  makes  you  think 

BO?" 

"  I  thought  so  by  the  cheering  the  ship's  crew  gave  that 
boat  that  left  the  ship  just  before  I  came  up.  There  was 
only  a  naval  lieutenant  in  her,  and  I  supposed  that  he  had 
just  got  his  ship,  and  I  thought  by  the  heartiness  of  the 
cheering  what  a  good  fellow  he  must  be." 

"  But  it  was  not  the  lieutenant  the  men  were  cheering," 
Captain  Merivale  said  with  a  smile. 

"  No  ! "  General  Craufurd  said,  surprised.  '*  Why,  there 
was  no  one  else  in  the  boat.  I  looked  attentively  as  I 
passed.  There  was  only  a  lieutenant,  a  midshipman  who 
was  steering,  the  men  rowing,  and  two  little  marine  buglers, 
who  had  their  handkerchiefs  up  to  their  faces.  So  you  see 
I  took  a  very  minute  survey." 

"You  did  indeed,"  Captain  Merivale  said,  laughing. 
*^  Well,  it  was  just  these  little  buglers  that  the  crew  of  the 
ship  were  cheering." 

General  Craufurd  looked  up  incredulously.  "You're 
joking,  Merivale.  The  crew  of  His  Majesty's  frigate 
*Latona'  cheer  two  buglers  of  marines!  No,  no,  that 
won't  do." 

"It  is  a  fact,  though,  Craufurd,  unlikely  as  it  seems, 
except  that  the  buglers  belong  to  the  Norfolk  Eangers,  and 
not  to  the  Marines." 

**  The  Hangers  !    They  are  in  Hill's  division.     What  la 


96  TSB  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

it  all  about  ?  There  must  be  something  very  strange 
about  it/* 

'*^ There  is  indeed/'  Captain  Merivale  said,  ''very 
strange/'  And  he  then  related  the  whole  story  to  his 
visitor. 

''  They  are  trumps  indeed/'  the  general  said  when  the 
narrative  was  ended,  "  and  I  am  very  glad  that  1  happened 
to  hear  it.  I  will  speak  to  Hill  about  it,  and  will  keep  my 
eye  upon  them.  Be  assured  they  shall  have  their  epaulets 
as  soon  as  possible — that  is,  if  their  conduct  is  at  all  equal 
to  their  pluck.  It  is  the  least  we  can  do  when,  as  you  say, 
they  have  refused  midshipmen's  berths  to  stick  to  us.  And 
now  I  must  be  off." 

The  boat  landed  General  Craufurd  at  the  same  landings 
place  at  which  Tom  and  Peter  had  disembarked  half  an 
hour  before.  Lieutenant  Armstrong  had  spoken  a  few 
words  to  the  officer  who  was  superintending  the  landing  of 
stores  and  horses,  and  he,  being  far  too  busy  to  stop  to 
talk,  briefly  said  that  the  boys  could  go  up  to  join  their  regi- 
ment with  a  convoy  of  stores  which  would  start  that  night. 

After  saying  good-bye  to  their  friend  the  lieutenant,  the 
boys  sat  down  upon  some  bales,  and  were  watching  with 
much  amusement  and  interest  the  busy  scene  before  them. 
As  General  Craufurd  passed  they  rose  and  saluted. 

''  You  are  the  boys  from  the  '  Latona,'  are  you  not  ?  " 

*' Yes,  sir,"  the  boys  answered  in  surprise. 

*'Can  you  ride  ?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

*'  Follow  me,  then." 

Much  surprised,  the  boys  followed  the  general  until  he 
made  his  way  through  the  confusion  to  a  group  of  newly 
landed  horses.  Near  them  were  a  couple  of  mounted 
Hussars,  who,  at  the  sight  of  the  general,  rode  forward 
with  his  charger.  He  made  a  sign  to  them  to  wait  a 
moment,  and  walked  up  to  the  men  who  were  holding  the 
jiewly  landed  horses. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  97 

*'  Which  of  you  have  got  charge  of  two  horses  ?  " 

Several  of  the  men  answered  at  once. 

**  Which  of  you  are  servants  of  officers  on  my  staff  ?  *' 

Three  of  those  who  had  answered  before  replied  now. 

*'  Very  well ;  just  put  saddles  on  to  two  of  them. 
These  lads  will  ride  them  ;  they  are  going  out  with  me  at 
once  ;  they  will  hand  them  over  to  your  masters." 

In  another  five  minutes  Tom  and  Peter,  to  their  surprise 
and  delight,  were  clattering  along  through  the  streets  of 
Lisbon  upon  two  first-rate  horses  in  company  with  the  two 
Hussars,  while,  twenty  lengths  ahead,  trotted  General 
Craufurd  with  two  officers  who  had  been  down  to  Lisbon 
upon  duty  similar  to  his  own.  Once  outside  the  town,  the 
general  put  his  horse  into  a  gallop,  and  his  followers  of 
course  did  the  same.  Once  or  twice  General  Craufurd 
glanced  back  to  see  how  the  boys  rode,  for  a  doubt  had 
crossed  his  mind  as  to  whether  he  had  been  wise  in  putting 
them  upon  such  valuable  horses,  but  when  he  saw  that  they 
were  evidently  accustomed  to  the  work,  he  paid  no  further 
attention  to  them. 

The  officers  riding  beside  him,  however,  looked  back 
several  times.     , . 

"What  luck  we  have,  to  be  sure,  Tom,"  Peter  said, 
*'and  I  can't  understand  this  a  bit.  How  could  the  gen- 
eral know  that  we  came  from  the  '  Latona' ;  as  he  evi- 
dently did,  and  by  the  way  these  officers  have  looked  back 
twice,  I  can't  help  thinking  that  he  is  talking  about  us." 

Tom  was  as  puzzled  as  Peter,  but  they  soon  forgot  the 
subject,  and  engaged  in  an  animated  conversation  with  the 
Hussars  as  to  the  situation  and  position  of  the  army,  and 
the  supposed  strength  and  locality  of  the  French,  con- 
cerning which  they  were,  of  course,  in  complete  igno- 
rance. An  hour  and  a  half  s  sharp  riding  took  them  to 
Torres  Vedras,  a  small  town  whith  afterwards  became  cel- 
ebrated for  the  tremendous  lines  which  Wellington  erected 
liiere.    The  troops  were  encamped  in  its  vicinity,  the  gen- 


98  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

eral  having  his  quarters  at  the  house  of  the  Alcalde,  or 
Mayor. 

'^Your  regiment  is  a  mile  and  a  half  distant,  lads,*' 
General  Oraufurd  said  as  they  drew  up  at  his  quarters ; 
<'  you  will  have  difficulty  in  finding  it  this  evening.  Ser- 
geant, take  these  lads  round  to  the  house  where  my  order- 
lies are  quartered,  and  give  them  some  supper.  They  can 
join  their  regiment  in  the  morning.  I  have  heard  of  you, 
lads,  from  Captain  Merivale,  and  shall  mention  your  con- 
duct to  G-eneral  Hill,  and  be  assured  I  will  keep  my  eye 
upon  you/' 

The  boys  were  soon  asleep  upon  a  heap  of  straw,  and  at 
six  next  morning  were  upon  the  road,  having  already  had 
some  coffee  and  bread  for  breakfast.  They  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  finding  their  way,  for  orderlies  were  already  gal- 
loping about,  and  the  bugle  calls  came  sharp  upon  their 
ears.  The  division  was  to  march  at  seven.  The  Rangers 
happened  to  be  the  first  in  advance,  so  that  they  passed 
through  the  other  regiments  to  arrive  at  theirs. 

The  tents  were  down  when  they  arrived,  and  packed  in 
readiness  for  the  bullock  carts  which  stood  by.  The  boys 
paused  a  little  distance  off,  and  looked  on  with  delight  at 
the  busy  scene.  At  a  note  on  the  bugle  the  tents  and  other 
baggage  were  stowed  in  the  carts,  and  then  the  men  hitched 
on  their  knapsacks,  unpiled  arras,  and  began  to  fall  into 
rank. 

No  one  noticed  the  boys  as  they  passed  between  the 
groups  and  approached  the  band,  who  were  mustering  by 
the  colors,  which  were  as  usual  placed  in  front  of  the  guard 
tent. 

"  There's  Sambo,"  Tom  said  ;  '^  am  glad  they  got  him 
safe  on  board." 

The  negro  was  the  first  to  perceive  the  boys  as  they  came 
close  up  to  him.  As  he  saw  them  he  gave  a  sudden  start, 
his  eyes  opened  wider  and  wider  until  the  whites  showed  all 
round,  his  teeth  chattered,  the  shiny  black  of  his  face 


Y.B. 


••  Oh,  Colly,  here's  dose  Boys'  Spirits 8  "=-Page  99- 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  99 

tnraed  to  a  sort  of  dirty  gray,  and  lie  threw  up  his  hands 
v/ith  a  loud  cry,  "  oh,  golly,  here's  dose  bo}^  spirits  I  " 

He  stepped  back,  heedless  that  the  big  drum  was  be- 
hind him,  and  the  next  moment  went  back  with  a  crash 
into  it,  and  remained  there  with  his  knees  doubled  up  and 
his  face  looking  out  between  them,  too  frightened  and 
horror-struck  to  make  the  least  movement  to  extricate 
nimself. 

For  a  moment  no  one  noticed  him,  for  at  his  cry  they 
had  all  turned  to  the  boys,  and  stood  as  if  petrified  at 
seeing  those  whom  they  believed  had  been  drowned  before 
their  eyes  a  week  before.  The  silence  did  not  last  long, 
the  boys  bursting  into  a  shout  of  laughter  at  Sam's  ap- 
pearance. 

"Spirits!  Sam,"  Tom  said;  ''not  by  along  way  yet, 
man.  How  are  you  all  ?  Come,  get  out  of  that,  Sam  and 
shake  hands.''  And  as  the  band  with  a  shout  crowded 
round  them,  the  boys  helped  Sam,  who  was  trembling  all 
over  from  the  shock  and  fright,  from  the  drum. 

For  a  moment  the  boys  v/ere  quite  confused  and  be- 
wildered, for  as  they  hauled  Sam  to  his  feet  their  comradea 
of  the  band  pressed  round  them  cheering,  every  one  try- 
ing to  shake  them  by  the  hand. 

The  news  spread  like  wildfire  among  the  troops,  and 
there  was  at  once  a  general  rush  to  the  spot.  The  boys 
were  seized  in  an  instant,  and  each  raised  on  the  shoulders 
of  two  of  the  grenadiers,  and  as  they  made  their  appear- 
ance above  the  heads  of  the  crowd  a  tremendous  cheer 
broke  from  the  whole  regiment. 

*'  What  can  be  the  matter  ?  "  was  the  general  exclama- 
tion of  the  colonel  and  officers,  who  were  just  finishing 
their  breakfasts  in  a  cottage  which  stood  close  behind  the 
spot  where  their  tents  had  been  pitched  in  the  rear  of  the 
regiment.  "What  can  be  the  matter?" — and  as  the 
cheering  continued  there  was  a  general  rush  to  the  door. 
There  th^  stood  astonished  at  seeina:  the  whole  of  tha 


100  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

men  clustered  in  one  spot,  shouting  and  waving  theif 
caps. 

^^What  can  be  the  matter?"  the  colonel  said  again; 
<^the  whole  regiment  seems  to  have  gone  mad." 

"  We  shall  know  in  a  minute,"  Captain  Manley  said ; 
'^  they  are  coming  in  this  direction." 

'*  Look  at  that  fellow  Sambo,"  exclaimed  Carruthers  ; 
'*he  looks  madder  than  all  the  rest." 

In  spite  of  the  intense  surprise  which  all  were  feeling, 
there  was  a  general  laugh,  for  the  black  was  performing 
antics  like  one  possessed ;  his  cap  was  gone,  he  jumped,  he 
yelled,  he  waved  his  arms,  with  a  drumstick  in  each  hand, 
wildly  over  his  head,  he  twisted  round  and  round;  he 
seemed  really  out  of  his  mind.  Suddenly  he  left  the 
crowd,  and  rushed  on  ahead  at  full  speed  towards  the 
group  of  officers,  still  leaping  and  yelling  and  waving  his 
drumsticks. 

The  officers  instinctively  drew  together  as  he  approached, 
for  they  thought  that  the  gigantic  negro  was  really  out  of 
his  mind.  He  stopped  suddenly  as  he  came  up  to  them, 
and  tried  to  fall  into  his  usual  attitude  of  attention. 

"  Oh,  Massa  Colonel,"  he  said  in  hoarse,  sobbing  tones, 
"  only  to  think,  only  to  think.  Scuse  Sam,  sar,  but  Sam 
feel  he's  going  to  bust  right  up  wid  joy,  massa.  Dat  no 
matter,  but  only  to  think.  Bress  de  Almighty,  sar  1  only 
to  think ! " 

None  of  the  officers  spoke  for  a  minute  in  answer  to 
these  disjointed  exclamations.  They  were  affected  at  the 
man's  great  emotion.  His  black  skin  was  still  strangely 
pale,  his  eyes  were  distended,  his  lips  quivered,  tears 
were  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  and  his  huge  frame  was 
shaken  with  sobs. 

*'  Calm  yourself,  Sam— be  calm,  my  man,"  the  colonel 
said  kindly.  "Try  and  tell  us  what  has  happened. 
What  are  the  men  so  excited  about  ?  What  is  th©  matter 
with  them?* 


THE  YOUNG  BU0LSR8.  101 

*'  Oh,  Massa  Colonel/'  Sam  said,  "  me  try  tell  yon  all 
*bout  it.  Only  to  think,  sar,  dose  boys  cum  back  again  ; 
dose  boys,  sar,  bress  dem,  dat  jumped  into  de  water  and 
got  drowned  just  to  save  dis  poor  niggar,  sar,  Dey  cum 
back  again  ;  only  tink  ob  dat ! " 

The  officers  looked  at  one  ajiother  in  surprise. 

''  I  do  believe  he  means  the  Scudamores  !  colonel,'*  Cap- 
tain Manley  exclaimed  ;  '^  but  no,  it  is  impossible  no  one 
could  have  lived  five  minutes  in  that  sea,  and  we  know 
that  they  could  not  have  been  picked  up,  for  we  were  the 
last  ship  in  the  fleet." 

''  Yes,  yes,  sar,  dat's  dem,  dey  cum  back  sure  enuff," 
Sam  said. 

Then  Carruthers  exclaimed,  '*  I  do  believe  it  is  so ; 
there  are  a  couple  of  boys  on  the  shoulders  of  the  men  in 
the  middle  of  the  crowd.  Yes,  and,  by  Jove,  it  is  the 
Scudamores.     Hurrah  !    I  am  glad/' 

There  was  a  general  exclamation  of  pleasure  from  the 
whole  group,  for  the  regret  for  the  boys,  who  had,  as  was 
believed,  perished  in  the  performance  of  such  a  gallant 
action,  had  been  general  and  sincere,  and  Captain  Manley 
lifted  his  cap  and  said  reverently,  ''  Thank  God,  these  gal- 
lant lads  are  saved  ; "  and  those  around,  although  some  of 
them  were  but  little  addicted  to  prayer,  repeated  the  words 
and  imitated  the  action. 

Carruthers  would  have  stepped  forward  in  his  eagerness 
to  greet  his  former  school-fellows,  but  Captain  Manley  laid 
his  hand  quietly  on  his  shoulder  and  said  in  a  low  tone, 
*'  AVait,  Carruthers,  let  the  colonel  welcome  them." 

And  now  the  crowd  came  up  to  the  cottage,  those  in 
front  falling  back  as  they  approached,  so  as  to  let  the  grena- 
diers come  forward  with  their  burden.  The  boys  were  low- 
ered to  the  ground,  and  stood  at  once  at  attention  ; 
their  faces  were  both  flushed  with  excitement,  and  their 
eyes  swollen  with  tears,  so  much  were  they  both  moved  by 
the  welcome  which  had  greeted  them. 


102  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

There  was  a  dead  silence  for  a  moment,  and  then  Colonel 
Tritton  said  in  a  loud,  clear  voice,  which  was  heard  all  over 
the  throng  of  men,  ''  I  am  glad,  lads,  to  see  you  back  again. 
1  never  expected  to  have  seen  you  again  after  we  caught  a 
glimpse  of  you  as  the  sea  washed  you  away.  You  have 
seen  how  the  men  have  welcomed  you,  and  I  can  assure 
you  that  the  pleasure  of  the  officers  that  two  such  gallant 
young  fellows  should  have  been  saved  is  no  less  than  that 
of  your  comrades.  A  braver  act  than  that  which  you  per- 
formed was  never  done.  I  shake  hands  with  you,  and  con- 
gratulate you  in  the  name  of  the  whole  regiment. ''  And, 
suiting  the  action  to  the  words.  Colonel  Tritton  stepped  for- 
ward and  shook  the  boys  warmly  by  the  hand,  amidst  a 
great  cheer  upon  the  part  of  the  whole  regiment.  Then  he 
held  up  his  hand  for  silence  again.  "  Bugler,  sound  the 
assembly  ;  fall  in,  my  lads,  or  we  shall  be  late.  Come  in 
here,  boys  ;  you  can  get  something  to  eat,  and  tell  us  in  a 
few  words  how  you  were  saved,  for^  even  now  that  I  see 
you  it  seems  almost  impcssibl®/' 


TSE  YOUNG  BUGLEB9.  fOS 


CHAPTER  VIL 

THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  DUORO— TALAVBRA. 

Very  severe  was  the  drill  and  discipline,  and  not  very 
abundant  wafs  the  food,  and  there  was  a  general  feeling  of 
pleasure  when,  by  the  general  concentration  of  the  army 
at  Coimbra,  it  was  evident  that  active  operations  were 
about  to  commence.  On  the  5th  of  May  9000  Portuguese, 
3000  Germans,  and  13,000  British  troops  were  assembled. 
Sir  Arthur  was  already  there,  and  upon  the  6th  General 
Beresford  marched  with  10,000  men,  and  orders  were  issued 
for  the  rest  of  the  army  to  march  out  early  the  next  day. 

The  Norfolk  Rangers  were  in  high  glee  that  night,  and 
many  were  the  tales  told  by  the  old  soldiers  of  former  en- 
gagements in  which  they  had  taken  part.  Next  morning, 
at  daybreak,  the  tents  were  struck,  the  baggage  packed, 
and  the  wagons  loaded.  The  people  of  Coimbra  came  out 
in  crowds  to  see  the  troops  march,  and  many  were  the  bless- 
ings and  good  wishes  poured  out  as  the  long  line  wound 
through  the  streets  of  the  city. 

HilFs  division  was  the  last,  and  the  rain  was  pouring  down 
with  great  force  by  the  time  they  started.  The  march, 
however,  was  not  a  very  long  one,  for  Beresford's  division, 
which  was  to  operate  upon  the  Upper  Duoro,  had  a  long 
distance  to  make,  and  it  was  necessary  that  all  should  be 
ready  for  simultaneous  action.  For  this  purpose  the  army 
halted  the  next  day,  and  upon  the  9th  marched  to  Aveiro 
on  the  River  Vonga.  Here  a  large  flotilla  of  boats  was 
found,  and  the  Norfolk  Rangers  with  two  other  regiments 
were  ordered  to  embark  at  once.     The  Portuguese  fisher- 


104  TBE  YOUNG  SUGLEItS. 

men  entered  heart  and  soul  into  the  business,  and  in  per- 
fect silence  the  little  flats  were  rowed  up  the  lake  of  Ovar. 

The  soldiers  were  greatly  crowded  in  the  boats,  and  were 
glad,  indeed,  when  just  as  morning  dawned  they  landed  at 
the  town  of  Ovar. 

By  this  movement  they  were  placed  upon  the  right  flank 
of  Francheschi,  the  general  who  commanded  the  advanced 
division  of  the  French  army.  Soon  after  they  had  landed 
the  French  were  attacked  in  front,  and  finding  their  flank 
turned,  and  the  whole  British  force,  which  they  had  be- 
lieved to  be  seven  days'  march  away,  in  their  front,  they  fell 
back  hastily. 

To  their  great  disappointment,  the  Rangers  took  no 
share  in  this  the  first  skirmish  of  the  war.  But  Hill's 
orders  were  not  to  press  on  the  enemy's  rear.  Three  days 
more  of  marching  and  skirmishing  brought  them  close  to 
the  Puoro  on  the  evening  of  the  11th.  The  enemy  crossed 
that  evening  and  destroyed  the  bridge,  and  during  the 
night  the  British  troops  were  all  brought  up,  and  massed 
behind  the  hill  called  the  Serra.  This  hill  stood  upon  a 
sharp  elbow  which  the  river  makes  just  above  the  town  of 
Oporto,  and  the  British  were  here  completely  hidden  from 
Marshal  Soult,  who  had  no  idea  that  they  were  so  close  at 
hand.  Indeed,  knowing  that  the  bridge  was  broken  and 
that  all  the  boats  had  been  carefully  taken  over  to  that 
side  of  the  river,  the  Marshal  dreamt  not  that  Sir  Arthur 
would  attempt  oo  cross,  uai  imagined  that  he  would  take 
boats  lower  down  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  there  en- 
deavor to  cross.  To  prevent  such  an  attempt  Soult  had 
massed  his  army  below  Oporto. 

The  troops  were  ordered  to  pile  arms,  and  eat  their 
breakfast,  but  to  keep  in  position.  ^'I  wonder  how  we 
are  to  cross  the  river,  Tom  ?  "  Peter  said.  "  It  is  three 
hundred  yards  across,  with  a  rapid  current,  no  man  in  the 
world  could  swim  that,  and  carry  his  musket  and  ammu- 
nition across/' 


THE  rOUNQ  BUGLERS,  105 

'*  I  expect  Sir  Arthur  is  reconnoitering,  Peter ;  I  saw  him 
go  up  the  hill  to  that  convent  there  7*he  must  be  able  to 
Bee  from  there  right  over  Oporto." 

An  hour  passed,  and  then  two  or  three  ofiQcers  were  seen 
coming  down  from  the  hill ;  one  went  up  to  General  Hill, 
who  happened  at  that  moment  to  be  talking  to  Colonel 
Tritton.  *'  You  are  to  prepare  to  cross,  sir.  Colonel 
Waters  has  discovered  a  small  boat  brought  across  by  a 
Portuguese  in  the  night.  They  are  going  to  cross  to  that 
great  convent  you  see  upon  the  other  side.  They  will 
b'-ing  back  boats  with  them,  and  you  will  cross  at  once, 
take  possession  of  the  convent,  and  hold  it  against  any 
force  that  may  be  brought  against  you  until  reinforcements 
arriye/' 

Very  quickly  were  the  orders  passed,  and  with  a  smile 
of  satisfaction  the  men  took  their  arms  and  fell  in.  They 
were  moved  near  the  river,  and  kept  under  shelter  of  some 
houses. 

"Keep  near  me,"  Colonel  Tritton  said  to  Tom  and 
Peter,  "  I  may  want  you  to  carry  messages,  there  will  be 
no  sounding  of  bugles  to-day." 

Keeping  under  the  shade  of  some  trees  so  that  they 
could  command  a  view  of  the  river  without  being  seen 
from  the  opposite  side,  Colonel  Tritton  with  two  of  his 
officers  and  his  two  buglers,  watched  what  was  going  on. 
A  few  paces  ahead  of  them  were  Generals  Paget  and  Hill, 
like  themselves,  watching  the  daring  experiment.  Behind, 
under  shelter  of  the  houses,  were  the  troops  in  dense 
masses.  The  Rangers,  as  the  first  regiment  in  General 
HilFs  division,  were  in  front,  and  would  naturally  be  the 
first  to  cross.  It  was  a  most  anxious  moment,  as  Colonel 
Waters  and  two  Portuguese  pushed  the  tiny  boat  from 
shore  and  pulled  across  stream.  The  bulk  of  the  Serra 
Hill  hid  the  river  at  this  point,  and  even  the  convent  op- 
posite, from  the  sight  of  the  French  army  formed  up  below 
^e  town,  but  there  were  no  doubt  stragglers  all  over  the 


106  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

city,  and  the  whole  baggage  of  the  French  army  was  in 
retreat  by  the  road  to  Valarga  which  ran  at  a  short  dis- 
tance behind  the  convent. 

Most  an'lxiously  their  eyes  were  strained  upon  the  oppo- 
site bank,  from  which  they  expected  to  see  the  flash  of 
musketry,  as  the  little  boat  neared  the  convent.  All, 
however,  was  as  still  as  death.  Behind  them  they  heard  a 
rumble,  and  looking  round  saw  eighteen  guns  on  their 
way  up  the  hill.  From  this  eminence  they  could  command 
the  ground  around  the  Seminary,  as  the  convent  across 
the  water  was  called,  and  thus  afford  some  aid  to  the  troops 
as  they  crossed. 

There  was  a  murmur  of  satisfaction  as  the  boat  neared 
the  opposite  shore,  and  after  lying  still  for  a  moment  to 
reconnoiter  the  convent,  pulled  boldly  up  to  the  landing- 
place,  where  its  occupants  disembarked  and  entered  the 
Seminary.  Their  absence  was  not  long.  In  a  few  min- 
utes they  reappeared  with  eight  or  ten  men,  and  then  at 
once  entered  and  cast  off  three  large  boats  moored  along- 
side. 

The  boys  could  hardly  repress  a  cheer  as  they  saw  them 
fairly  under  weigh.  An  officer  now  left  the  side  of  the 
General,  and  came  to  Colonel  Tritton,  "  You  will  get  your 
first  company  in  readiness  to  embark,  sir  ;  do  not  let  them 
show  themselves  until  the  last  moment." 

Colonel  Tritton  joined  his  men.  *'  Captain  Manley, 
take  your  company  forward,  when  the  first  boat  touches 
the  shore  embark.     Let  there  be  no  noise  or  confusion.*' 

"  God  bless  you,  Peter,"  Tom  said,  as  they  separated ; 
**  your  company  won^t  be  many  minutes  after  us  ; "  for  the 
bugler  of  the  first  company  was  ill,  and  Tom  was  ordered 
to  take  his  place. 

As  the  boat  touched  the  shore  Captain  Manley  ordered 
the  leading  files  of  his  company  to  come  from  under  cover 
and  take  their  place  in  the  boat.  Twenty-four  men 
entered,  and  when  the  other  boats  were  also  full  Captain 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  107 

Manley  took  his  place,  followed  by  his  bugler,  and  the 
boats  pushed  off  again. 

There  was  a  dead  silence  in  the  boat,  broken  only  by  the 
sound  of  the  oars  as  the  Portuguese  tugged  manfully  at 
them,  each  oar  being  double-banked  by  a  soldier.  The 
rest  sat  with  their  muskets  in  their  hands,  their  pouches 
open  ready  for  use,  and  their  eyes  fixsd  upon  the  shore. 
All  was  quiet,  and  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  and  a  hearty 
hurrah  muttered  under  their  breath,  the  men  leapt  from 
the  boat  and  ran  up  to  the  Seminary. 

It  was  a  large  building  with  a  flat  roof,  and  the  en- 
closure around  it  was  surrounded  by  a  high  wall  which 
swept  round  to  the  water's  edge  on  either  side.  The  only 
entrance  was  through  a  stout  gate  studded  with  iron. 
This  was  already  closed  and  barred ;  the  captain  at  once 
distributed  his  men  at  the  upper  windows  of  the  Seminary, 
with  orders  not  to  show  themselves  until  the  alarm  was 
given. 

They  had  scarcely  taken  their  places  when  they  were 
joined  by  the  occupants  of  the  second  boat,  while  those  of 
the  third,  in  which  General  Paget  himself  crossed,  were 
but  a  minute  or  two  later.  Just  as  they  touched  the  shore, 
however,  there  was  a  sudden  shout  heard,  this  was  followed 
by  others,  and  in  five  minutes  a  wild  hubbub  was  heard  in 
the  town.  Drums  beat  to  arms,  and  it  was  evident  that 
the  enemy  were  at  last  awake  to  the  fact  that  the  British 
had  effected  a  lodgment  upon  their  side  of  the  stream. 

**  We  shall  have  it  hot  presently, '^  Captain  Manley  said 
to  Tom.  "  They  will  be  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  they 
can  get  round  here,  and  we  shall  have  the  three  boats  back 
by  that  time.  The  one  we  came  in  is  half-way  across 
already.*' 

Seven  or  eight  minutes  later  a  heavy  column  of  men  was 
seen  pouring  out  of  the  upper  gate  of  the  town.  As  they 
got  into  the  open  ground,  they  threw  out  clouds  of  skir- 
mishers, and  pushed  down  towards  the  convent.     A  heavy 


108  TBB  YOUNG  BUGLEES, 

fire  was  at  once  opened  upon  them  by  the  English  guns 
upon  the  Serra  Hill.  There  was  no  longer  any  need  for 
concealment.  The  soldiers  in  the  convent  took  their 
places  at  the  windows,  and  as  they  did  so  could  hear  the 
loud  hurrahs  of  their  comrades  as  they  crowded  down  to 
the  bank  upon  the  other  side  of  the  river  to  await  their 
turn  to  embark.  Before  the  enemy  were  within  musket- 
shot,  three  boat  loads  more  had  been  landed,  and  there 
were,  therefore,  150  men  now  in  the  convent.  From  the 
gates  of  the  city  the  French  artillery  came  pouring  out, 
and,  taking  up  a  position  upon  an  eminence,  opened  fire 
upon  the  convent  just  as  the  infantry  had  got  within  mus- 
ket-range. 

So  suddenly  did  the  noise  of  the  enemy's  cannonade,  the 
crashing  of  the  balls  against  the  thick  walls  of  the  Semi- 
nary, the  rattle  of  the  enemy's  musketry,  and  the  louder 
roar  of  the  muskets  of  the  defenders,  blended  on  both  sides 
with  shouts  and  cheers,  break  out,  that  for  a  minute  or 
two  Tom  felt  almost  bewildered.  He  had  no  time,  how- 
ever, to  think,  for  an  officer  came  up  to  Captain  Manley. 
*'  The  general  is  up  on  the  roof ;  he  wants  a  bugler  sent 
up  to  him." 

Captain  Manley  nodded  to  Tom,  who  followed  the  aide- 
de-camp  on  to  the  roof.  Here  he  could  see  all  that  was 
passing,  and  an  exciting  sight  it  was.  Crowds  of  French 
soldiers  were  approaching  the  wall,  keeping  up  a  tremen- 
dous musketry  fire,  whilst  behind  them  three  batteries  of 
field-guns  were  sending  their  messengers  of  death.  From 
every  upper  window  of  the  convent  the  answering  flashes 
came  thick  and  fast,  while  overhead  hummed  the  shot  from 
the  British  guns,  on  the  Serra  Hill.  Oporto  itself  was  in 
a  state  of  uproar.  Drums  were  beating,  trumpets  sound- 
ing, bells  clanging,  while  from  the  house-tops  the  popula- 
tion, men  and  women,  were  waving  their  handkerchiefs 
to  the  English,  gesticulating  and  making  all  sorts  of  paa- 
tomimic  expression  of  joy. 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  109 

Looking  at  the  river  behind,  Tom  saw  with  pleasure 
that  some  more  boats  had  been  obtained,  and  that  strong 
reinforcements  would  soon  be  across.  The  whistling  of 
the  bullets  and  the  hum  of  the  round  shot  were  incessant, 
and  Tom  acknowledged  to  himself  that  he  felt  horribly- 
uncomfortable — much  more  uncomfortable  than  he  had 
any  idea  that  he  should  feel  under  fire.  Had  he  been 
actively  engaged,  he  would  have  hardly  experienced  this 
feeling  ;  but  to  stand  impassive  under  a  heavy  fire  is  try- 
ing to  the  nerves  of  the  oldest  soldier.  He  was  angry  with 
himself  that  he  was  not  more  indifferent  to  the  whizzing 
of  the  balls  ;  but  the  sensation  of  discomfort  under  fire  is 
beyond  the  control  of  the  wdll,  and  it  is  no  unusual  thing 
to  see  a  young  soldier  who,  later  in  the  day,  may  display 
an  almost  reckless  courage,  yet  at  first  flinch  whenever 
balls  hiss  close  by  him,  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  the 
contrary.  Tom  was  able,  however,  to  control  any  outward 
manifestation  of  his  feelings,  and  took  his  place  a  few 
paces  behind  General  Paget,  w^ho  was  standing  with  one 
of  his  officers  by  his  side,  watching  the  force  which, 
momentarily  increasing,  was,  in  spite  of  the  British  fire, 
making  its  way  onward  towards  the  gate. 

It  was  evident  that  the  general  considered  the  danger  to 
be  pressing,  as  he  once  or  twice  looked  back  to  see  how 
quickly  the  reinforcements  were  crossing  the  river.  The 
first  time  that  he  did  so,  his  eye  fell  on  Tom.  "  Get  be- 
hind those  big  chimneys,  lad.  There  is  no  use  in  expos- 
ing yourself  unnecessarily."" 

Tom  obeyed  the  order  with  alacrity,  and,  once  in  shelter, 
was  soon  able  to  bring  his  nerves  under  control,  and  to 
look  round  the  corner  of  his  shelter  without  flinching  when 
the  bullets  sang  past.  In  five  minutes  General  Hill  joined 
Paget  on  the  roof,  and  just  as  he  did  so  the  latter  was 
severely  wounded  and  fell. 

Tom  ran  forward  to  assist  him,  and,  kneeling  beside  him, 
partially  supported  him  until  four  men  came  up  and  car- 


110  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

ried  him  below.  The  position  of  the  little  garrison  was 
now  very  precarious,  the  artillery  fire  concentrated  upon 
them  was  heavy,  and  the  French  swarmed  up  to  the  wall, 
which  they  in  vain  endeavored  to  climb.  The  English 
kept  up  a  tremendous  fire  upon  them,  cheering  constantly 
as  fresh  reinforcements  arrived,  or  as  the  enemy  was 
momentarily  repulsed. 

Tom  had  now  lost  all  nervousness,  and  was  standing 
eagerly  watching  the  fight,  when  a  ball  knocked  his 
shako  off.  The  general  happened  to  turn  around  at 
the  moment.  "  That  was  a  narrow  escape,"  he  said  with 
a  smile.     *'  What  is  your  name,  lad  ?" 

*'  Scudamore,  sir,^'  Tom  answered. 

*^  Scudamore — Scudamore.  Yes,  I  remember  the  name 
now.  You  are  one  of  the  lads  General  Craufurd  spoke  to 
me  about.  I  want  to  see  you.  Come  to  me  to-morrow 
with  your  brother.  Go  down  now  and  join  your  company  ; 
I  do  not  want  you  here.'^ 

Tom  gladly  went  down,  for  he  longed  to  be  doing  some- 
thing. He  soon  found  his  company,  and,  taking  up  a 
firelock  of  one  of  the  men  who  had  fallen,  was  soon  hard 
at  work  loading  and  firing  into  the  assailants.  For  an 
hour  the  strife  continued.  Fortunately  General  Murray 
had  found  some  boats  three  miles  higher  up  the  stream, 
and  had  crossed,  thus  menacing  the  enemy's  line  of  retreat. 
Suddenly  a  great  pealing  of  bells  were  heard  in  Oporto, 
with  shouting  and  cheering,  and  the  house-tops  were 
covered  with  people  waving  their  handkerchiefs.  The 
French  were  evacuating  the  town.  The  inhabitants  at 
once  took  across  some  large  barges  to  Villa  Neva,  a  sub- 
urb lying  across  the  river  and  just  below  the  Serra  Hill. 
Here  Sherbrooke  began  to  cross. 

It  was  now  the  time  for  the  English  to  take  the  offen- 
sive. There  were  now  three  battalions  in  the  seminary, 
and  as  the  French  drew  sullenly  off  to  join  the  column 
now  flowing  steadily  out  from  Oporto  along  the  Yalouga 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  111 

road,  the  gates  were  thrown  open,  and  the  English  passing 
ont  formed  outside  the  walls,  and  poured  volley  after  vol- 
ley into  the  retreating  foe.  Had  Murray  fallen  upon  their 
flank,  the  disaster  of  the  French  would  have  been  com- 
plete ;  but  this  general  feared  that  the  enemy  would  turn 
upon  him,  and  destroy  his  division  before  assistance  could 
arrive,  and  he  therefore  remained  inactive,  and  allowed 
the  long  column  of  fugitives  to  pass  unmolested. 

For  the  next  eight  days  the  English  army  followed  hotly 
in  pursuit,  and  several  skirmishes  occurred ;  but  Soult 
effected  a  most  masterly  retreat,  saving  his  army,  when  it 
seemed  upon  the  brink  of  destruction,  by  leaving  his  guns 
and  baggage  behind  him,  and  leading  his  men  by  paths  over 
mountains  supposed  to  be  impassable  for  any  large  body  of 
men.  He  lost  altogether  6003  men  in  this  short  campaign. 
This  included  3600  prisoners  either  captured  in  action  or 
left  behind  in  the  hospitals,  and  1400  killed.  The  number 
of  guns  left  behind  was  fifty-eight.  The  English  had  only 
300  killed  and  wounded. 

Sir  Arthur's  plans  for  the  invasion  of  Spain  were  not  yet 
complete,  and  he  accordingly  halted  his  army  to  await  sup- 
plies and  reinforcements.  During  this  time  the  young 
buglers  had  no  opportunity  of  calling  upon  Major-General 
Hill.  The  transport  supplied  by  the  Spanish  Government 
had  failed  grossly,  and  the  troops  were  badly  fed  at  a  time 
when,  taking  long  marches,  they  most  required  support. 
The  first  day  after  they  halted  the  boys  determined  that 
they  would,  as  soon  as  they  were  off  duty,  call  upon  Gen- 
eral Hill.  While  parade  was  going  on,  however,  they  saw 
the  general  ride  up  to  Colonel  Tritton,  and  enter  into  con- 
versation with  him.  The  bugler,  who  was  standing  near, 
was  ordered  to  sound  the  call  for  the  officers  to  assemble 
in  front ;  and  when  they  did  so,  Colonel  Tritton  left  the 
general's  side  and  spoke  a  few  words  with  them.  There 
was  a  short  conversation,  and  then  the  colonel  rejoined  the 
general's  side,  and  the  officers  returned  to  their  places. 


112  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLEES. 

The  colonel  now  rode  forward  to  the  center  of  the  line,  and 
said  in  loud  tones,  **  Men,  I  have  a  piece  of  news  to  tell 
you  which  I  think  that  you  will  be  glad  to  hear.  Upon 
my  arrival  at  Lisbon  I  reported  the  gallant  conduct  of 
Tom  and  Peter  Scudamore  in  re::cuing  one  cf  their  com- 
rades when  washed  overboard  in  the  Bay  cf  Biscay.  Cap- 
tain Merivale,  of  the  '^  Latona,"  also  reported  it,  and  Gen- 
eral Hill,  when  he  heard  the  circumstances,  was  also  good 
enough  to  send  home  a  report  recommending  them  for 
promotion.  He  has  received  an  answer  from  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief announcing  that  they  are  both  granted 
commissions  in  this  regiment  as  a  reward  for  their  act  of 
distinguished  gallantry.     The  regiment  is  dismissed.^' 

As  the  men  fell  out  they  gave  a  loud  and  general  cheer, 
and  Tom  and  Peter  were  surrounded  by  their  comrades, 
who  shook  them  by  the  hand,  and  congratulated  them  upon 
their  promotion.  The  boys  were  too  much  surprised  and 
affected  to  speak,  and  they  had  scarcely  recovered  from 
their  bewilderment,  when  Carruthers  came  up  to  them, 
and  led  them  to  the  colonel.  Here  General  Hill  first,  and 
then  all  the  officers,  warmly  shook  hands  with  them.  The 
boys  were  much  touched  by  the  warmth  with  which  they 
were  received,  and  were  soon  hurried  off  to  the  tents  of 
the  officers.  Several  of  the  ensigns  v/ere  slight  young  men, 
and  they  insisted  upon  rigging  the  boys  out  in  uniform, 
and  the  boys  had  the  less  scruple  in  accepting  the  kind 
offer,  inasmach  as  they  expected  every  day  to  enter  Spain, 
when  the  baggage  would  be  cut  down  to  the  smallest  pos- 
sible proportion,  and  the  officers  as  well  as  the  men  be 
obliged  to  leave  almost  everything  behind  them.  Sam  was 
delighted  at  the  promotion  of  his  friends,  and  asked  to  be 
appointed  their  servant,  a  request  which  was  at  once  ac- 
ceded to.  The  regiment  had  now  been  three  months  in 
Spain,  and  the  boys  had  continued  to  work  hard  at  Span- 
ish, devoting  several  hours  a  day  to  its  study,  and  talking 
it  whenever  they  could  find  an  opportunity — no  difficult 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  113 

matter,  as  Portugal  was  full  of  Spanish  who  had  crossed 
the  frontier  to  avoid  the  hated  yoke  of  the  French. 

The  delay  in  invading  Spain  was  caused  partly  from 
want  of  transport,  but  more  by  the  utter  incapacity  of  the 
Spanish  Junta  or  government,  and  by  the  arrogance  and 
folly  of  Cuesta,  the  Spanish  Commander-in-Chief,  who 
was  always  proposing  impracticable  schemes  to  Welling- 
ton, and,  inflated  with  Spanish  pride  and  obstinacy,  be- 
lieved that  his  own  worthless  troops  were  fully  a  match 
for  the  French,  and  was  jealous  in  the  highest  degree  of 
the  British  general. 

At  last,  on  the  27th  of  June,  the  British  army  advanced. 
Scarcely  had  they  made  a  day's  march,  however,  when  the 
utter  faithlessness  of  the  Spaniards  became  manifest.  The 
provisions  and  transport  promised  were  not  forthcoming, 
and  from  the  very  day  of  their  advance  the  British  were 
badly  fed,  and  indeed  often  not  fed  at  all ;  and  so  great 
were  their  sufferings  during  the  campaign — sufferings 
caused  by  the  heartlessness  of  the  people  whom  they  had 
come  to  deliver  from  a  foreign  yoke,  that  the  British  sol- 
diers came  to  cherish  a  deep  and  bitter  hatred  against  the 
Spanish  ;  and  it  was  this  intense  feeling  of  animosity 
which  had  no  little  to  do  with  the  cruel  excesses  of  the 
English  soldiery  upon  the  capture  of  Burgos  and  San 
Sebastian. 

After  many  delays  from  these  causes,  the  British  army 
reached  Oropesa  upon  the  20th  July,  and  there  formed  a 
junction  with  Cuesta's  army.  Upon  the  22d  the  allied 
armies  moved  forward,  and  upon  the  same  day  the  Spani- 
ards came  in  contact  with  the  French,  and  should  have 
inflicted  a  severe  blow  upon  them,  but  the  ignorance  and 
timidity  of  the  Spanish  generals  enabled  the  enemy  to  draw 
off  and  concentrate  without  loss. 

The  British  troops  had  now  been  for  many  days  upon 
half  rations,  and  Sir  Arthur  gave  notice  to  the  Junta,  that 
unless  his  requisitions  were  complied  with,  he  should 


114  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

retire. from  Spain.  Cuesta,  however,  beMeving  that  the 
French  were  retreating  in  haste,  pushed  his  army  across 
the  river  Alberche,  with  the  vain  idea  of  defeating  them, 
and  entering  Madrid  in  triumph.  Sir  Arthur,  seeing  the 
fatal  consequences  which  would  ensue,  were  the  Spaniards 
attacked  alone,  laid  aside  his  previously-formed  resolution, 
and  put  his  army  in  motion  across  the  Alberche.  The 
position  of  the  allied  armies  was  now  most  dangerous — far 
more  so,  indeed,  than  the  English  general  supposed. 
Badly  informed  by  the  Spanish,  he  greatly  underrated  the 
enemy's  forces.  Taking  advantage  of  the  delay  caused 
by  the  want  of  provisions  and  carriage,  ioult,  Victor,  and 
Ney  were  marching  their  forces  from  various  points,  and 
concentrating  to  crush  the  invading  army.  Upon  the 
26th  the  French  met  the  Spanish  army.  General  Zayas, 
who  commanded  the  Spanish  advance  of  4000  infantry  and 
^000  cavalry,  scarcely  offered  any  resistance,  his  men  broke 
and  fled  in  disorder,  and  the  panic  would  have  spread  to 
the  whole  Spanish  army,  had  not  General  Albuquerque 
brought  up  3000  more  cavalry  and  held  the  French  at  bay, 
while  Cuesta  retreated  in  great  disorder.  The  Spanish 
loss  by  dispersion  and  flight  was  no  less  than  4000  men, 
and  the  whole  army  would  have  been  broken  up  had  not 
General  Sherbrooke  advanced  with  his  division,  and  placed 
it  between  the  French  and  the  flying  Spaniards. 

The  allies  now  recrossed  the  ^Iberche  and  took  up  a 
position  to  cover  Talavera.  Sir  Arthur  chose  a  strong 
defensive  position,  as  it  was  evident  that  the  Spanish  were 
worse  than  useless  in  the  open  fleld.  The  Spaniards  were 
placed  with  their  right  resting  upon  Talavera,  their  left 
upon  a  mound  whereon  a  large  field-redoubt  was  con- 
structed. Their  front  was  covered  by  a  convent,  by^ 
ditches,  stone  walls,  breastworks,  and  felled  trees ;  and 
thus,  worthless  as  were  the  troops,  they  could  scarcely  be 
driven  from  a  position  almost  impregnable. 

The  line  beyond  the  Spanish  was  continued  by  Camp- 


^HE  YOu.ii^  BUGLERS.  115 

bell's  diyision,  next  to  which  came  that  of  Sherbrooke,  its 
left  extending  to  a  steep  hill.  Mackenzie  and  Etonkin  had 
not  yet  fallen  back  from  the  Alberche.  Hill  was  in  rear. 
The  British  troops,  including  the  German  legicn,  w^ere 
19,000  strong,  with  thirty  guns.  The  Spaniards  had  33,000 
men  and  seventy  guns.  The  Spanish  contingent  could,  how- 
ever, be  in  no  way  relied  upon,  and  were,  indeed,  never 
seriously  engaged.  The  real  battle  was  between  the  19,000 
British  troops  and  50,000  French.  The  French  attacked 
the  British  outposts  with  great  impetuosity,  and  Mackenzie 
and  Donkin  were  driven  in  with  a  loss  of  4000  men.  The 
latter  took  up  his  position  with  his  brigade  on  the  hill  on 
Sherbrooke's  left ;  the  former  took  post  with  Campbell's 
division,  to  which  he  belonged.  The  French  cavalry  now 
galloped  up  towards  the  portion  of  the  line  held  by  the 
Spanish,  and  discharged  their  pistols  at  them,  whereupon 
10,000  Spanish  infantry  and  the  whole  of  their  artillery 
broke  and  fled  in  wild  confusion.  For  miles  they  con- 
tinued their  flight,  but  in  the  evening  the  Spanish  cavalry 
were- sent  round  in  pursuit,  and  drove  some  4000  of  these 
cowards  back  to  their  lines.  Seeing  the  wild  confusion 
which  was  raging  on  the  allies'  right,  Victor  resolved,  al- 
though evening  was  at  hand,  to  make  a  sudden  dash  upon 
the  hill  upon  their  left,  which,  held  only  by  Donkin's 
brigade,  was  the  key  of  the  position.  The  hill  was  very 
steep  upon  the  front,  or  French  side,  while  towards  the 
rear  it  sloped  gradually.  Ruffin's  division  was  ordered  to 
the  attack,  followed  by  Villette  in  support,  while  Lapisse 
was  ordered  to  engage  the  German  legion,  wiiich  was  on 
the  left  of  Sherbrooke's  division. 

Hiirs  division  was  lying  down  behind  the  hill  when  Ruf. 
fin's  troops  advanced  to  the  attack.  There  was  no  expecta* 
tion  of  an  attack  that  evening,  and  the  woods  and  increas- 
ing darkness  covered  the  movements  of  the  French  troops. 
Weary  and  hungry,  the  English  soldiers,  disgusted  at  the 
inhuman  neglect  of  the  Spaniards,  and  furious  at  theii 


116  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

cowardice,  were  chatting  over  the  events  of  the  day  and 
discussing  the  chances,  by  no  means  bright,  of  the  ex- 
pected battle  to-morrow.  All  that  day  they  had  had  no 
food  whatever  save  a  small  portion  of  grain,  served  out  raw 
and  unground.  Tom  and  Peter  had  been  chatting  with 
the  officers,  who  were  grouped  under  a  tree,  when  Sambo 
came  up  to  them  and  beckoned  them  aside. 

'^  Look  here,  Massa  Tom,  here  six  eggs;  tree  for  you, 
tree  for  Massa  Peter/* 

'*  Thank  you,  Sam,  that  is  capital ;  but  you  know  you 
will  get  into  a  row  if  you  get  caught  taking  things." 

''  Me  no  take  'em,  massa.     Old  hen  give  them  to  me.'* 

Tom  laughed. 

*'  How  was  that,  Sam.  ?  " 

*'  Well,  Massa,  me  saw  her  sitting  on  nest.  Me  went  up 
and  said  to  her,  '^  Give  me  some  eggs,  old  girl.^  She  say 
'Cluck.'  1  says,  *  Cluck  means  yes,  I  suppose?'  She 
say  ^  Cluck '  again.  Clear'  nuff  that,  so  me  take  eggs,  eat 
tree,  bring  six,  young  massa." 

"  I  am  afraid,  Sam,"  Tom  said,  laughing,  ''your  story 
would  hardly  save  you  from  the  triangles,  if  you  had  been 
caught.  However,  as  it  is  rude  to  return  a  present,  of 
course  you  cannot  take  them  back  to  the  hen.  I  suppose 
they  are  raw  ?  " 

*' Yes,  massa ;  no  good  make  fire ;  make  hole  bofeends, 
suck  'em." 

*'  All  right,  Sam  ;  it  is  not  the  nicest  way,  but,  under 
the  circumstances,  perhaps  it  is  the  best ;  at  any  rate,  1 
am  too  hungry  to  wait  till  we  can  get  a  fire  lighted." 

So  saying,  the  boys  sucked  the  raw  eggs,  and  then  joined 
the  men,  when,  just  as  they  did  so,  first  a  dropping  rifle 
shot,  and  then  a  perfect  roar  of  musketry  broke  out  upon 
the  hill  above  them.  It  needed  no  order  to  be  given. 
The  men  fell  into  their  places  and  prepared  to  climb  the 
hill  and  assist  Donkin's  brigade,  which  was  evidently 
unable  alone  to  resist  the  attack.    Knapsacks  were  thrown 


TB£  YOUNG  BVQLEltS.  lit 

off,  firelocks  tightly  grasped,  and  the  regiment  impatiently 
awaited  orders  to  advance.  None  were  more  impatient 
than  the  colonel,  who  after  a  few  minutes,  seeing  by  the 
fire  that  the  English  were  falling  back,  and  that  the 
French  had  gained  the  crest  of  the  hill,  waited  no  longer 
for  orders,  but  gave  the  word  for  the  regiment  to  advance. 
They  were  but  half  way  up  the  hill  when  General  Hill 
himself  galloped  down  to  meet  them,  and  then  turning,  led 
the  way  beside  Colonel  Tritton. 

General  Hill  had  had  a  narrow  escape.  Donkin  had 
rep^i8^<i  Ul@  French  who  attacked  him  in  front,  but  his 
force  was  insufficient  to  guard  the  whole  crest  of  the  hilL 
Consequently,  the  enemy  had  come  up  round  his  flank, 
and  were  now  in  actual  possession  of  the  crest.  General 
Hill,  ignorant  of  this,  had  ridden  with  his  brigade-major 
right  into  the  midst  of  the  French  before  he  found  out 
his  mistake.  His  brigade-major,  Fordyce,  was  killed,  his 
own  horse  wounded,  and  his  bridle  seized  by  a  French 
grenadier.  He  had,  however,  broken  away,  and  had 
ridden  off  under  a  storm  of  bullets. 

With  a  cheer  the  Norfolk  Rangers  followed  their  gallant 
leader.  They  reached  the  crest,  poured  a  tremendous 
volley  into  the  enemy,  and  charged  with  the  bayonet. 
The  French,  of  whom  but  a  small  portion  had  as  yet 
gained  the  crest,  were  unable  to  resist  the  impetuous  on- 
slaught, and  at  once  gave  way. 

The  Rangers  were  now  joined  by  the  48th  and  the  29th, 
80  that  these,  with  Donkin's  brigade,  formed  a  strong 
body  of  troops.  The  French,  who  had  fallen  back,  now 
united  with  their  main  body,  and  the  attack  was  renewed 
with  all  the  force  of  Ruffin's  division.  The  heavy  mass 
pressed  upwards,  in  spite  of  the  destructive  fire  of  the 
British,  and  were  within  twenty  yards  of  the  crest,  when, 
with  a  hearty  cheer,  the  English  troops  burst  upon  them 
with  the  bayonet,  and  the  French  again  fell  back,  broken 
and  disheartened. 


118  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

This  ended  the  fighting  on  the  27th  of  July.  Long 
lines  of  bivouac  fires  soon  blazed  upon  either  side.  The 
wounded  were  carried  down  the  hill  to  the  field-hospital, 
which  had  been  erected  under  its  cover,  and  the  men, 
eating  their  scanty  supper,  wrapped  themselves  in  their 
great  coats,  and  were  soon  asleep.  The  officers  chatted 
for  a  short  time  longer,  but  as  all  were  tired,  and  the 
next  day  was  sure  to  be  a  severe  one,  they,  too,  soon  lay 
down  by  their  fire. 

When  morning  broke,  it  was  seen  that  the  enemy  had 
massed  a  large  force  of  artillery  upon  a  hill  just  opposite 
to  the  one  held  by  the  English.  Soon  afterwards  Ruffin's 
division,  as  before  supported  by  Villette,  advanced  to  the 
attack,  covered  by  the  tremendoas  fire  from  his  artillery. 
The  British  had  no  adequate  force  of  artillery  to  reply  to 
the  iron  storm,  and  the  balls  swept  through  their  lines, 
mowing  down  their  ranks,  and  causing  great  loss.  The 
regiments  in  reserve  lay  down  to  avoid  the  iron  shower, 
while  the  Rangers  and  48th  prepared  to  resist  the  French 
when  they  came  within  fighting  distance. 

As  their  men  approached  the  summit  of  the  hill,  the 
French  artillery  was  obliged  to  cease  playing  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  turned  its  attention  to  the  British  center,  while 
a  fierce  musketry  contest  took  place  between  the  French 
and  Hill  and  Donkin's  men. 

The  ground  was  rough,  and  the  troops  on  both  sides, 
broken  up  into  small  bodies,  fought  desperately.  General 
Hill  was  wounded,  and  the  British  troops  fell  fast.  The 
French,  however,  suffered  even  more,  and,  as  Hill  brought 
up  his  reserve,  the  English  gained  ground  foot  by  foot, 
until  they  drove  them  again  down  the  steep  side  of  the 
hill.  As  the  French  retired,  their  artillery  once  more 
opened  fire  to  cover  their  retreat. 

A  pause  now  ensued  ;  the  French  in  this  brief  contest  had 
lost  1400  men,  and  the  British  had  suffered  severely. 
The  French  then  held  a  council  of  war,  and  determined 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  11^ 

tc  attack  along  the  whole  line  in  force.  Hours  passed 
a^yay  ;  the  English  munched  their  corn,  smoked  their  pipes, 
and  watched  the  enemy  scattered  over  the  plain.  The 
weather  was  very  hot,  and  the  men  of  both  sides  went 
down  to  a  little  stream  which  divided  their  positions, 
drank,  and  filled  their  water-bottles  in  perfect  amity. 
Some  of  the  officers,  who  spoke  French  conversed  with  the 
French  officers,  exchanged  cigars  for  brandy,  and  joked 
and  laughed  as  if  they  had  been  the  best  of  friends. 

At  one  o'clock  the  French  drums  were  heard  to  beat,  and 
the  men  were  soon  formed  in  order.  Tom  and  Peter 
stood  with  a  group  of  officers  on  the  brow  of  the  hill. 
Nothing  could  be  finer  th^n  the  sight.  Far  away  the  view 
stretched  over  the  country,  thickly  wooded,  and  with 
chdteau  and  farm-houses  scatted  here  and  there. 
Through  the  trees  the  dense  masses  of  the  French  could 
be  seen,  as  they  moved  in  columns  towards  the  positions 
from  which  they  were  to  attack.  Upon  an  eminence, 
nearly  opposite  to  their  position,  the  boys  could  see  a  long 
line  of  the  French  artillery.  Far  away,  to  the  right,  rose 
the  chi.rches  of  Talavera,  while  behind  the  hill  were  the 
British  and  Spanish  cavalry,  ready  to  charge  should  the 
French  endeavor  to  turn  the  British  left  by  pushing 
round  its  foot.  Fifty  paces  from  the  officers  of  the  Nor- 
folk Rangers  sat  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley,  on  horseback, 
watching  attentively  through  a  field-glass  the  movements 
of  the  enemy,  and  at  a  short  distance  behind  him  were  his 
staff.  The  British  troops  were  standing  in  easy  order,  a 
little  behind  the  crest  of  the  hill,  so  as  to  be  sheltered 
from  the  artillery  fire  with  which  the  French  were  sure  to 
cover  the  advance  of  their  column  of  attack. 

"  This  is  a  grand  sight,  Peter,"  Tom  said,  ''  but  I  wish 
they  would  begin  ;  it  makes  one  fidgety  waiting  for  it." 

Scarcely  had  Tom  spoken  when,  as  if  in  answer  to  his 
wish,  a  series  of  jets  of  white  smoke  puffed  out  from  the 
wpposit©  liiU,  and  two  or  three  seconds  later  came  t?i3 


120  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

thunder  of  eighty  guns^  and  the  whizzing  sound  of  as  many 
balls.  Instinctively  the  group  drew  back  a  pace,  but  it 
was  not  upon  them  that  this  tremendous  fire  was  opened. 
It  was  directed  against  the  right  of  the  British  line,  and 
almost  at  the  same  m^oment  a  cloud  of  skirmishers  ap- 
peared among  the  trees,  followed  by  the  dark  columns  of 
Sebastiani's  division. 

Upon  these  the  English  guns  at  once  opened  fire  ;  but 
rushing  forward  with  their  usual  impetuosity,  they  cleared 
away  the  obstacles  which  had  been  raised  across  the  British 
front,  and  charged  with  fury  against  the  British  position. 
Campbell's  division,  however,  assisted  by  Mackenzie's 
brigade  and  two  Spanish  battalions,  stood  firm,  and  driv- 
ing back  the  skirmishers,  advanced  in  line,  cheering 
loudly.  The  head  of  the  French  column  withered  away 
Tinder  their  tremendous  fire,  and,  pushing  forward,  they 
overlapped  it,  and  drove  them  back  with  terrible  loss, 
capturing  ten  guns.  Then  Campbell  prudently  recalled 
his  men  to  their  first  position,  and  the  British  artillery 
■which  had  necessarily  been  silent  while  friend  and  foe 
were  mingled  together,  opened  furiously  upon  the  French 
as  they  tried  to  re-form  upon  their  supports.  A  Spanish 
cavalry  regiment  dashed  down  upon  their  flank,  and  they 
retired  again  in  great  disorder. 

Every  incident  of  the  fight  could  be  seen  from  the  Brit- 
ish position  on  the  hill,  and  the  troops  almost  held  their 
breath  with  excitement  as  the  British  lines  clashed  against 
the  head  of  the  French  column,  and  a  loud  shout  of 
triumph  burst  out  spontaneously  as  the  French  broke  and 
fled. 

But  it  was  now  the  turn  of  the  left.  Already  Villette's 
division,  preceded  by  the  Grenadiers  and  supported  by  Ruf- 
fin's  division,  was  advancing,  and  the  British  cavalry  were 
ordered  to  charge  them.  The  ground  was,  however,  quite 
unfit  for  cavalry.  Colonel  Arentschild,  a  very  experienced 
Ofi^cer^  who  commanded  the  German  Hussars^  drew  up  his 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  121 

regiment  at  the  edge  of  a  deep  cleft  which  crossed  their 
front,  and  refused  to  take  his  men  to  certain  destruction. 
The  23d  Dragoons,  however,  dashed  into  the  ravine.  Men 
and  horses  rolled  over  in  all  directions ;  still,  thej  got 
across,  and,  charging  furiously  between  the  French  in- 
fantry regiments,  which  poured  in  a  terrible  fire,  fell  upon 
a  brigade  of  Chasseurs  in  their  rear.  Victor  sent  up  his 
Polish  lancers  and  Westphalian  light  horse  to  the  assis- 
tance of  the  Chasseurs,  who  already  outnumbered  the  23d, 
and  this  gallant  regiment  was  completely  broken,  the  sur- 
vivors escaping  to  the  shelter  of  Bassecourt's  Spanish 
division,  which  lay  beyond  the  hill,  having  lost  257  men 
and  oflQcers. 

Tom  and  Peter  did  not  see  this  disastrous  affair,  for  on 
the  approach  of  the  enemy's  column  they  fell  into  their 
places  in  the  ranks.  It  was,  however,  in  vain  that  the 
French  tried  to  gain  the  crest  of  the  hill,  their  efforts  at 
this  point  being  indeed  far  more  feeble  than  they  had  been 
either  in  the  morning  or  upon  the  previous  night.  It  was 
in  the  center  that  their  great  effort  was  made.  Here  La- 
pisse  threw  his  division  against  that  of  Sherbrooke,  and, 
covered  by  his  own  artillery  and  by  the  guns  upon  the  hill, 
charged  right  up  to  the  position.  The  British,  however, 
repulsed  them,  and  the  guards,  carried  away  by  the  excite- 
ment of  the  moment,  followed  them  with  reckless  ardor. 
The  French  reserves  of  infantry  and  cavalry  came  up,  the 
artillery  plied  the  British  with  shot  and  shell,  the  fugitives 
rallied  and  again  came  to  the  attack,  and  the  Guards  fell 
back  in  confusion.  The  Germans  next  to  them,  severely 
pressed,  began  to  waver,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  that  the 
British,  victorious  upon  both  flanks,  were  yet  to  lose  the 
battle  by  being  broken  in  the  center. 

Now,  however,  the  48th,  which  Sir  Arthur  had  ordered 
down  from  the  hill  when  he  saw  the  rash  advance  of  the 
Guards,  was  seen  advancing  in  line  through  the  disordered 
masses.     Wheeling  back,  it  allowed  the  retreating  regi- 


122  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

ments  to  pass  throught  it  and  then  again  formed  and  fell 
upon  the  flank  of  the  victorious  French  column.  The 
French  paused  in  their  advance,  the  Guards  and  Germans 
rallied  and  came  back  again  to  the  fight,  the  shots  of  the 
British  guns  plowed  lines  in  the  column,  the  French 
wavered,  and,  as  the  British  light  cavalry  trotted  up  with 
the  intention  of  charging  them,  fell  back,  and  drew  off  to 
their  first  position  amidst  shouts  of  victory  along  the  whole 
length  of  the  British  line. 

Thus  the  battle  ceased,  each  party  occupying  the  ground 
it  had  held  in  the  morning.  The  British  loss  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing,  in  the  two  days'  ^ghting,  was  6200  ; 
that  of  the  French  7400.  Had  the  British  been  in  a  condi- 
tion to  have  sallied  from  their  position  and  pursued  the 
retiring  enemy,  the  victory  would  have  had  far  greater  re- 
sults ;  but,  exhausted  and  half-starved,  the  British  were 
incapable  of  following  up  their  advantage. 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak,  the  French  arrny  quitted 
its  position,  and,  retiring  across  the  Alberche,  formed  line 
of  battle  there,  and  awaited  the  attack,  should  the  English 
take  the  offensive.  This  they  were  in  no  position  to  do, 
although  in  the  course  of  the  day  Craufurd  had  come  up 
with  the  43d,  52d,  and  95th  Kegiments.  These  three  regi- 
ments had  heard  of  the  first  day's  figliting  from  the  Spanish 
fugitives,  and  had  marched  with  all  speed  to  the  assistance 
of  their  friends.  They  had,  carrying  their  kit  and  am- 
munition, weighing  from  501b.  to  601b.,  actually  marched 
sixty-two  miles  in  twenty-six  hours  in  the  hottest  season 
of  the  year,  one  of  the  greatest  feats  recorded  in  military 
history. 

The  Rangers  had  suffered  heavily,  and  in  the  two  days' 
fighting  had  lost  thirty-eight  killed  and  109  wounded. 
Among  the  former  were  two  officers,  while  several  others 
were  wounded.  The  Scudamores  had,  fortunately,  both 
escaped  without  a  scratch.  The  inhumanity  of  the  Span- 
iards was  now  more  markedly  shown  than  ever.   Althou^ii 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  128 

both  in  Cuesta's  army,  and  in  the  town  of  Talavera  provi- 
sions were  abundant,  yet  the  inhabitants  carefully  con- 
cealed them,  while  both  the  wounded  and  fighting  men  of 
the  British  army  were  in  want.  So  great  was  the  misery 
and  indignation  of  the  soldiers  at  this  shameful  treatment, 
from  those  for  whom  they  were  doing  so  much,  that  they 
would  willingly  have  attacked  the  Spanish  army  and  plun- 
dered the  town  ;  and  from  this  period  to  the  end  of  the 
war  the  British  hated  the  Spanish  with  a  deep  and  bitter 
hatred. 

Wellesley  now  received  news  that  Soult  had  crossed  the 
mountains  through  the  pass  of  Bancs,  which  had  been 
left  undefended  by  the  Spanish,  and  was  marching  upon 
his  rear.  Believing  that  Soult  had  only  13,000  men  with 
him— whereas  in  fact,  he  had  50,000— Sir  A^rthur  left  the 
Spanish  army  at  Talavera  in  charge  of  the  hospitals,  with 
6000  sick  and  wounded,  and  retraced  his  steps,  with  the 
intention  of  giving  battle  to  this  new  enemy. 

Upon  the  3d,  however,  he  learned  the  real  strength  of 
Soult's  army,  and  upon  the  same  day  heard  that  General 
Cuesta  had  basely  retreated  from  Talavara,  without  having 
provided  any  transport  whatever,  according  to  his  prom- 
ise, for  the  British  sick  and  wounded.  All  of  these  who 
had  strength  to  crawl  rejoined  the  British  army,  but  1500, 
who  were  unable  to  walk,  were  left  behind,  and  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  French,  by  whom  they  were  treated  with 
far  greater  kindness  and  attention  than  they  had  been  by 
the  Spanish.  Upon  the  4th  Cuesta  joined  Sir  Arthur, 
and  at  six  o'clock  next  morning  ,the  only  possible  course  for 
safety  was  adopted.  Victor  was  advancing  from  Talavera, 
Soult  was  hurrying  from  Placentia  to  cut  ofE  the  retreat 
of  the  British,  and  accordingly  Sir  Arthur  fell  back  upon 
Arzobispo,  on  the  Tagus. 

The  artillery,  the  baggage  and  wounded,  first  crossed 
the  bridge,  and  at  two  o'clock  the  entire  army  was  across. 
So  great  was  the  hunger  of  the  men  that  a  herd  of  swine 


124  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

happening  to  be  seen  close  to  the  line  of  march,  the  sol* 
diers  ran  upon  them,  shot  and  bayoneted  them,  and  de- 
voured them  raw.  Taking  up  a  strong  position,  guarding 
the  bridges  of  the  Tagus,  the  British  army  remained  quiet 
until  the  end  of  August.  During  this  time  they  becam-e 
so  weakened  by  starvation  that  they  could  scarely  walk  ; 
a  great  portion  of  the  cavalry  horses,  and  nearly  all  the 
baggage  animals  died  of  hunger,  and  at  last,  Sir  Arthur, 
finding  that  no  remonstrances  availed  with  the  Junta,  fell 
back  again  to  the  Portuguese  frontier  by  slow  marches, 
for  the  army  was  so  utterly  enfeebled  that  it  resembled  a 
vast  body  of  invalids,  rather  than  an  army  of  unbeaten 
fioldierst 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLMB8.  126 


JHAPTER  VIII. 

A   PAUSE  IN   OPERATIONS. 

TaLAVERA  was  fought  in  July,  1809,  and  for  four 
months  longer  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley  kept  his  troops  on 
the  Spanish  frontier,  where  his  presence  served  as  a  check 
against  any  invasion,  even  by  a  very  formidable  army,  of 
Portugal.  After  the  utter  bad  faith  and  cowardice  shown 
by  the  Spanish,  the  great  commander  was  determined 
never  again  to  trust  in  their  promises,  or  to  undertake  any 
movement  dependent  for  success  upon  their  co-operation. 
The  Junta  then  declared  that  the  Spaniards  would  alone 
and  unaided  sweep  the  French  beyond  the  Pyrenees,  and 
a  Spanish  army  of  45,000  infantry,  7000  cavalry,  and  60 
guns  advanced  in  November  against  Madrid.  It  was  met 
by  a  French  army  of  24,000  infantry,  5000  cavalry,  and 
50  guns.  The  battle  began  at  eleven  in  the  morning,  and 
by  three  the  French,  with  a  loss  of  only  1700  killed  and 
wounded,  had  utterly  routed  the  Spanish,  with  a  loss  of 
6000  killed  and  wounded,  45  guns,  and  26,000  prisoners  ! 
After  this  signal  and  disgraceful  defeat.  Lord  Wellington 
— for  he  had  now  been  raised  to  the  peerage — felt  that 
nothing  whatever  could  be  done  at  present  in  Spain,  and  so 
fell  back  into  Portugal,  where  for  many  months  he 
occupied  himself  in  preparing  to  meet  the  storm  which 
would,  he  knew,  fall  ere  long  upon  that  country.  The 
Portuguese  authorities  were  as  incapable,  as  untrust- 
worthy, and  as  intractable  as  were  those  of  Spain  ;  but 
here,  happily.  Lord  Wellington  had  more  power.  Eng- 
land was  paying  large  subsidies  towards  keeping  up  tho 


126  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

Portuguese  army,  which  was  commanded  by  Lord  Beres- 
ford,  having  under  him  many  British  officers.  The 
Portuguese  troops  were  hardy,  obedient,  and  far  braver 
than  the  Spaniards  ;  but  difficulties  often  arose  in  keeping 
the  army  together,  because  the  Portuguese  Govern- 
ment, although  England  was  paying  the  principal  ex- 
penses of  the  army,  yet  starved  their  soldiers,  and  often 
kept  them  for  months  without  pay.  It  was  only  by  the 
strongest  remonstrances,  and  by  the  oft-repeated  threat 
that  he  would  embark  the  British  troops,  and  abandon 
Portugal  altogether,  unless  these  and  other  abuses  were 
done  away  with,  that  Lord  Wellington  succeeded  in  re- 
ducing this  incapable  and  insolent  Government  to  reason. 
Reinforcements  arrived  but  slowly  from  England,  for  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  available  troops  of  England 
were  frittered  away  in  holding  Cadiz  and  in  an  expedition 
to  Sicily.  In  these  two  places  some  25,000  Euglish  troops 
were  wasted — a  force,  which,  had  it  been  added  to  Wel- 
lington's army,  would  have  enabled  him  to  take  the  field 
against  the  French,  instead  of  being  forced  to  remain  in 
Portugal  for  upwards  of  a  year  without  discharging  a 
single  shot  against  the  enemy.  Tom  and  Peter  Scuda- 
more,  however,  were  not  destined  to  remain  inactive  all 
these  weary  months.  One  day  in  November,  just  before 
the  army  fell  back  from  the  Spanish  frontier.  General 
Hill  was  dining  at  mess  with  the  regiment ;  for,  rough  as 
was  the  accommodation,  the  officers  had  succeeded  in 
establishing  a  general  mess.  The  conversation  turned 
upon  the  difficulty  of  discovering  what  force  the  various 
Prench  generals  had  at  their  disposal,  the  reports  received 
by  the  Commander-in-Chief  being  often  ridiculously  in- 
correct. There  was  also  an  immense  difficulty  in  com- 
municating with  the  guerilla  chiefs  who,  almost  always 
beaten  when  they  came  to  blows  with  any  considerable 
bodies  of  the  French,  yet  managed  to  harass  them  terribly 
ha  cuttinsr  off  convo;rs.  falling  uDon  small  parties^  and 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  127 

„otacking  outposts  and  bands  of  foragers.  Knowing  every 
mountain  pass  and  road,  these  men  could,  if  they  would, 
keep  Lord  Wellington  informed  of  every  considerable 
movement  of  the  enemy,  and  might  in  return  receive  in- 
struction for  acting,  when  required,  in  concert  before  the 
communication  of  an  advancing  army,  or  might  create  a 
diversion  by  uniting  their  bands,  and  threatening  some 
important  post. 

The  next  day  the  boys  went  to  Colonel  Tritton's  quar- 
ters, and,  referring  to  the  conversation  of  the  day  before, 
said  that  they  were  willing  to  carry  any  messages  that  the 
general  might  require  sent,  and  to  obtain  any  information 
wanted. 

''Nonsense,  boys,  you  would  be  hung  as  spies  before 
you  had  been  gone  a  week. 

''I  don't  think  so,  sir,''  Tom  said  ;  ''we  have  had  very 
little  to  do  during  the  six  months  we  have  been  out  here 
except  to  learn  the  language  of  the  country,  and  I  think 
now  we  could  pass  very  well  as  Spanish  boys.  Besides, 
who  would  suspect  boys  ?  "We  are  quite  ready  to  chance 
detection  if  we  can  be  allowed  to  go." 

"  I  don't  like  it,  boys  ;  you  are  too  young.  Well,  if  not 
too  young,"  he  said,  in  answer  to  a  movement  of  Tom's  to 
speak,  '^  we  all  like  you  too  well  to  run  the  risk  of  hearing 
you  have  been  hung  like  a  couple  of  young  puppies." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  colonel ;  but  you  know  you  prom- 
ised to  give  us  a  chance  if  you  could,  and  having  a 
chance  of  course  means  having  extra  danger  ;  but  I  really 
don't  think  that  there  would  be  any  great  danger  in  it." 
"  Well,  boys,"  Colonel  Tritton  said,  after  a  few  moments' 
thought,  "I  do  not  feel  justified  in  refusing  your  applica- 
tion, and  will  mention  it  to  General  Hill.  There  are  very 
few  officers  in  the  army  who  speak  Spanish  fluently,  and 
you  being  boys  would,  as  you  say,  avert  suspicion.  But  I 
tell  you  fairly  that  I  hope  General  Hill  will  at  once  refuse 
to  entertain  the  idea,'* 


128  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

**  Thank  you,  sir,"  the  boys  said.  ''  Of  course  that  is  all 
we  could  ask  you  to  do/' 

The  next  day,  after  parade  was  over.  Colonel  Tritton 
walked  on  to  General  Hill's  quarters  at  a  sort  of  half  farm- 
house, half  country-seat,  a  short  distance  from  the  village, 
round  which  the  Kangers  were  encamped.  As  he  came  up 
to  the  house,  General  Hill  came  out  from  his  door  talking 
to  a  Spanish  officer,  who  had  the  day  before  brought  some 
despatches  from  one  of  the  Spanish  generals  to  Lord 
Wellington. 

Colonel  Tritton  joined  them,  and  they  stood  talking  to- 
gether upon  the  state  of  affairs  in  Spain,  and  of  the  advance 
of  the  Spanish  army  on  Madrid,  which  was  then  just  taking 
place.  As  they  did  so  two  very  ragged,  unkempt  Spanish 
boys,  shoeless  and  wretched-looking,  limped  up,  and  began 
to  beg.  General  Hill  shook  his  head,  and  the  Spaniard 
impatiently  motioned  them  away. 

"  Por  Dios,''  one  whined  ;  *'give  us  something  ;  we  are 
starving.  The  French  have  burnt  down  our  houses,  and 
killed  our  fathers  and  mothers— we  are  starving.  'Por 
Tamor  de  Dios  ! '  '* 

*'  What's  the  poor  little  beggar  say  ?  "  General  Hill  asked 
the  Spaniard. 

'<The  usual  story — house  burnt,  father  and  mother 
killed,  starving.     I  dare  say  it's  all  a  lie." 

'*  Where  did  you  live  ?  "  he  asked  in  Spanish. 

**In  the  village  of  Oros,  near  Valencia." 

''And  how  did  you  come  here  ?" 

''  The  French  burnt  the  village  because  the  guerillas  had 
killed  a  party  of  theirs  in  it,  and  they  killed  all  the  people, 
and  then  carried  off  the  mules  and  horses,  and  took  us  to 
drive  some  of  them.  That  was  four  months  ago.  We  had 
to  drive  till  th.A  other  day  at  Tamanes,  when  our  men  beat 
the  French ;  our  mu)es  were  taken,  and,  as  they  did  not 
want  us  as  drivers  we  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  come  on  ia 
hopes  that  the  kind  English  would  give  us  food." 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  129 

The  Spanish  officer  translated  what  the  boy  said,  and 
General  Hill  remarked,  ''  Yes,  that  was  a  brilliant  affair  of 
the  Duke  del  Pasque's.  Here,"  he  called  to  an  orderly, 
**  give  these  boys  some  bread.  I  will  see  what  can  be  done 
for  them  afterwards.  I  am  afraid  nothing.  Poor  little 
wretches  !  their  story  is  a  very  common  one." 

The  boys  received  the  bread  with  a  great  show  of  thank- 
fulness, and,  sitting  down  by  the  roadside,  began  to  munch 
it  with  great  appetite.  The  Spanish  officer  now  mounted 
his  horse  and  rode  off,  while  General  Hill  and  Colonel 
Tritton  remained  standing  where  he  had  left  them.  Colonel 
Tritton  then  told  General  Hill  of  the  Scudamores*  request 
to  be  allowed  to  penetrate  into  Spain  as  spies  or  with 
despatches. 

"  The  young  pickles  !  *'  General  Hill  laughed.  *'  What 
will  they  be  wanting  to  do  next  ?  Pooh,  pooh  !  it  woul'd 
be  out  of  the  question." 

"  I  believe  they  do  really  speak  Spanish  exceedingly  well.** 
Colonel  Tritton  said.  **  They  generally  act  as  interpreters 
for  us,  and  none  of  the  officers  speak  Spanish  with  anything 
like  the  same  fluency." 

''As  far  as  the  language  goes,  they  might  get  on,  perhaps," 
General  Hill  said  ;  "  but  they  look  as  thorough  English 
boys  as  you    could  see.     They   would    be    detected  at 


once." 


"Yes,"  Colonel  Tritton  said,  "they  are  both  thorough 
English  boys  ;  I  should  know  them  anywhere.  What  a 
contrast  to  the  miserable,  limping,  hang-dog  lads  there ! 
Poor  little  chaps!  Why,  upon  my  word,  I  believe  the 
fellows  are  laughing." 

General  Hill  looked  sharply  at  them,  and,  as  he  looked 
from  one  to  the  other,  he  said  sarcastically,  "  Poor  little 
chaps  indeed  !  You  said  that  very  naturally,  Tritton.  It 
really  does  you  credit  as  an  actor." 

Colonel  Tritton  looked  at  the  general  with  anexpressioa 
of  blank  astonishment. 


130  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

"What/^said  the  general,  "were  you  really  taken  in 
too" 

"  Takeii  in  ?  "  repeated  Colonel  Tritton  vaguely. 

**  Don't  you  see,  Tritton,  those  poor  little  chaps  you  are 
pitying  so  are  those  tv70  young  scamps  we  were  talking 
aho^t. 

Colonel  Tritton  stared  in  astonishment  at  the  boys,  and 
then,  as  he  recognized  them,  he  joined  the  general  in  a 
shout  of  laughter,  while  the  two  boys  stood  up  and  saluted 
with  an  attempt  at  gravity  which  was  only  partially  suc- 
cessful, so  amused  were  they  at  the  astonishment  of  their 
colonel,  as  well  as  pleased  at  the  success  of  their  disguise. 
Just  at  this  moment  there  was  a  sound  of  tramping  horses, 
and  directly  afterwards  an  officer  rode  up,  followed  by  four 
or  five  others,  and  at  a  short  distance  in  the  rear  by  an 
escort  of  orderlies.  The  boys  needed  not  the  exclamation 
of  General  Hill,  *'Here  is  Wellington."  They  knew  who 
the  rider  was,  who  checked  his  horse  as  he  reached  the  gate, 
for  they  had  often  seen  him  as  he  rode  through  the  camp. 
A  slight  man,  very  careful  and  neat  in  his  dress,  with  an 
aquiline  nose  and  piercing  eyes.  Peter  was  rising  as  he 
drew  up  his  horse,  when  Tom  said,  "  Don't  get  up,  Peter; 
go  on  with  your  bread.  It  would  look  absurd  for  us  to 
salute  now,  and  would  draw  attention  to  us,"  he  went  on, 
as  Lord  Wellington  dismounted,  threw  the  bridle  off  his 
horse  to  an  orderly,  and  saying  to  General  Hill,  **  I  wanted 
to  see  you ;  come  in."  Colonel  Tritton  went  into  the  house, 
followed  by  the  two  officers.  *'  We'll  stop  here  till  they 
come  out  again,  Peter.  Perhaps  General  Hill  may  speak 
to  him  about  us.  At  any  rate,  we  will  keep  up  our  disguise 
till  they've  gone.  Let  us  play  at  odd  and  even."  It  was 
a  game  of  which  Spanish  boys  are  very  fond,  and  they  may 
be  seen  in  any  of  the  Spanish  towns  sitting  by  the  houses 
on  door-steps  in  the  sun  playing.  It  was  half  an  hour  be- 
fore the  general  came  out  again.  He  was  about  to  mount 
his  horse,  when  he  glanced  at  the  boys,  who  were  sitting 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  131 

against  the  wall  a  few  paces  off,  seemingly  absorbed  in  their 
play,  and  paying  no  attention  whatever  to  him.  Suddenly 
he  changed  his  mind,  dropped  his  rein,  and  walked  up  to 
them. 

''What  are  you  playing  for?^'  he  asked  abruptly  in 
Spanish. 

''Reals,  senor,"  Tom  said  looi^ing  up,  but  not  moving. 

"  You  are  poor  ;  how  can  you  pay  ?'^  asked  the  general. 

"  Oh  !  we  don^t  pay.'^  Tom  laughed.  "  We  keep  count. 
I  owe  him  twelve  thousand  now.  I  will  pay  him  when  I 
get  rich.  He  can  wait."  And  he  held  out  his  closed  hand 
again  for  Peter  to  guess  the  number  of  stones  it  contained. 

"  Come  inside,"  Lord  Wellington  said  abruptly,  and, 
turning  led  the  way  into  the  house  again,  followed  by  Gen- 
eral Hill,  Colonel  Tritton,  and  the  two  boys. 

"  It  is  not  often  I  change  my  mind,"  he  said  to  General 
Hill ;  "  but  for  once  I  do  so  now.  When  you  told  me  about 
these  lads,  I  refused  to  employ  them  on  such  dangv^rous 
service,  even  when  you  told  me  of  the  courage  and  coolness 
which  they  exhibited  on  the  voyage.  Now  I  have  tried 
them  myself,  I  see  that  they  will  do.  If  they  could  keep 
up  their  disguise  when  I  spoke  to  them  suddenly,  and  an- 
swer without  hesitation  or  any  excitement  which  could  have 
shown  that  they  were  not  what  they  pretended  to  be,  they 
can  do  so  with  a  French  general.  I  am  no  judge  of  the 
purity  of  their  Spanish  ;  but  as  you  tell  me  they  deceived 
a  Spanish  officer  just  now,  they  will  be  able  to  pass  with 
Frenchmen.  Now,  lads,'^  he  went  on  turning  to  them, 
"  you  have  thought  over,  of  course,  the  risks  you  are  going 
to  run,  and  are  prepared,  if  detected,  to  be  hung  like  dogs." 
The  boys  bowed. 

"  You  will  receive  detailed  instructions  through  Colonel 
Tritton,  together  with  such  despatches  as  I  may  wish  sent. 
They  will  be  written  as  small  as  possible.  You  will  not  go 
for  a  week  ;  devote  all  your  time  to  studying  the  map. 
'She  largest  size  we  have  shall  be  sent  to  your  colonel  thij 


132  THE  TOUNO  BUGLEB8, 

afternoon.  Of  course  you  will  be  supplied  with  money, 
and  for  anything  you  can  think  of  likely  to  assist  you, 
speak  to  Colonel  Tritton.  You  are  beginning  well,  young 
sirs.  If  you  like,  you  ought  to  made  a  noise  in  the  world. 
Now,  Hill,  I  must  be  off." 

And  the  general  left  the  room  with  the  officers,  while 
the  boys  were  stammering  out  their  thanks. 

''Where  did  you  dress  up,  boys  ?"  Colonel  Tritton 
asked  them  after  the  general  had  ridden  off.  "  You  did 
not  come  out  from  camp  like  this  I  hope  ?  " 

'*  No,  colonel ;  we  changed  in  that  little  wood  there." 

*'  What  have  you  colored  your  skins  with  ?  " 

''  We  got  some  iodine  from  the  doctor,  sir,  and  mixed  it 
with  water  till  it  was  just  thick  enough  to  tinge  our  skin. 
It  will  wash  pretty  well  off  with  plenty  of  scrubbing,  but 
we  mean  to  use  walnut  juice  when  we  start ;  it  lasts  much 
longer,  and  is  a  better  brown." 

*'  I  am  not  sure,  boys,  that  you  had  not  better  leave  your 
faces  alone,  they  and  your  hands  are  so  sunburnt  that  yoa 
would  pass  well  enough,  though  you  must  dye  your  arms 
and  legs.  Fortunately,  your  hair  is  pretty  dark,  for  you 
can't  well  carry  dye.  Think  well  over  all  these  things,  for 
your  lives  may  depend  on  some  trifle  of  this  kind.  I  shall 
see  you  at  mess." 

So  saying,  Colonel  Tritton  walked  on,  leaving  the  boys 
to  follow  at  their  leisure.  Just  as  they  were  about  to  turn 
off  to  make  for  the  woods  they  saw  a  soldier  coming  along 
the  road. 

*'  That's  Sam,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  Peter,  we  will  have 
some  fun  with  him.  We  can  trust  him  to  say  nothing  in 
the  regiment  about  meeting  us  like  this." 

The  two  boys  accordingly  sat  down  by  a  low  wall  by  the 
roadside,  and  as  Sam  came  up  talked  away  to  each  other 
in  Spanish.  He  passed  without  paying  any  attention  to 
them.  After  he  had  gone  a  few  yards,  Tom  said  in  a  deep, 
loud   voice,  '*  Sambo,"    The  black  halted  suddenly,  and 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  188 

turned  ronnd.  First  he  looked  angrily  at  the  boySj  then 
he  went  to  the  side  of  the  road  and  looked  over  the  wall. 
Then  with  a  very  perplexed  air  he  looked  up  and  down  the 
road. 

"  Who  dat  have  impudence  to  call  dis  colored  gentleman 
Sambo,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  Some  fellow  did,  dat  for 
sartin,  not  dose  little  Spanish  trash,  dey  not  know  Sam's 
name,  some  rascal  in  regiment  ;  he's  hid  somewhere.  I 
pound  him  to  squash  when  I  find  him." 

Muttering  thus  he  turned  to  proceed  on  his  way,  but 
before  he  had  gone  twenty  yards,  he  again  heard  a  deep 
shout.  ''  Here,  you,  Sambo." 

The  black  jumped  as  if  he  was  shot,  *'  My  golly,''  he  ex- 
claimed, and  then  walked  back  to  the  boys,  who  were  talk- 
ing together,  shook  his  head  and  again  looked  over  the 
wall.  Then  he  stooped  down  to  the  boys,  and  shook  hia 
fist  in  their  faces,  ^'  You  little  debils,  you  call  Sambo,  I 
pound  you  to  squash."  The  boys  both  leapt  to  their  feet 
with  an  air  of  intense  surprise  and  alarm,  and  began  to 
cry  out  in  Spanish. 

*'  No,  can't  be  you,"  Sam  said,  ^*  dis  chile  must  be 
witched,  no  place  for  men  to  hide,  sartin  not  dem  boys. 
Stone  wall  can't  call  Sambo  all  by  self,  Sam's  going  out  of 
mind.  Oh  !  Lor,  dis  berry  bad  affair,"  and  Sam  sat  down 
by  the  roadside  with  a  face  of  such  perfect  bewilderment 
and  dismay  that  the  boys  could  stand  it  no  longer,  but 
went  off  together  into  a  scream  of  laughter,  which  caused 
Sam  to  jump  to  his  feet  again.  ^*  What  you  larf  for, 
what  you  larf  for,  you  little  rascals,  you  play  trick,  eh  ? 
you  call  Sambo,  who  taught  you  dat  name  ? "  and  he 
Beized  the  two  boys  and  shook  them  furiously. 

'^  Oh  !  Sam,  Sam,  you  will  kill  us  with  laughing,"  Tom 
^ot  Out  at  last.  *'  Do  leave  go,  man,  or  we  shall  choke," 
lind  as  Sam,  astonished,  loosed  his  hold,  the  boys  sat  down 
and  laughed  till  their  sides  ached. 

"  Golly,"  exclaimed  the  negro,  as  he  looked  at  them, 


134  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

*'  Dose  boys  again.  What  on  earth  yon  do,  Massa  Tonij 
Massa  Peter,  in  dose  ragged  close,  what  you  dress  up  like 
two  beggars  for  ?  Lor  !  how  you  take  in  dis  chile,  me  tink 
you  little  Spanish  trash,  sure  enuff."  It  was  some  time 
before  the  boys  could  compose  themselves,  and  then  Tom 
made  Sam  sit  close  by  his  side. 

"  Look  here,  Sam,  this  isn*t  a  joke,  this  is  a  serious 
business  and  before  I  tell  you  anything  about  it,  you  must 
promise  to  keep  the  secret  strictly,  as  it  would  do  us  a 
great  deal  of  harm  if  it  was  known."  Sam  declared  at  once 
that  if  they  tore  him  to  pieces  with  wild  horses  he  would 
say  nothing.  Tom  then  explained  the  whole  thing  to  him 
and  Sam  at  once  declared  that  he  would  go  too. 

"  Quite  impossible,  Sam.  You  do  not  speak  a  word  of 
Spanish  and  although  at  any  of  the  seaport  towns  you 
could  pass  as  a  runaway  sailor,  there  could  be  no  possible 
reason  for  your  wandering  about  the  country  with  two 
Spanish  boys." 

Sam  thought  for  some  time.  "  Now  dat  berry  unlucky 
Massa  Tom,  dat  Sam  play  big  drum.  Big  drum  fine 
music,  but  big  drum  not  go  well  by  self.  If  Sam  had 
played  fiddle,  Sam  could  go,  but  Sam  couldn^t  go  nohow 
with  big  drum." 

''  I  should  think  not,  Sam, with  the  name  of  the  regiment 
painted  on  it.  No,  no,  you  must  stay  behind.  There 
won't  be  any  fighting  now  till  the  spring,  and  by  that  time 
we  shall  be  back  with  the  regiment." 

^^  But  what  you  do  without  Sam  ?  who  black  Massa's 
boots  ?  who  brush  his  clothes  ?" 

Tom  laughed.  '*  These  clothes  would  fall  all  to  pieces, 
if  they  were  brushed  much,  Sam,  and  at  j^resent  we  have 
no  boots  to  be  blacked." 

''Where  you  get  dose  clothes,  Massa  Tom,"  Sam  asked, 
examining  with  great  disgust  the  rags  the  boys  had  on. 

^'  We  bought  some  peasant's  clothes  about  our  size,  and 
the  first  beggar  boys  we  saw  we  offered  to  exchange.     Yon 


THE  YOUyG  BUGLERS.  135 

should  have  seen  tlieir  faces  of  astonishment.  When  we 
got  the  clothes  we  made  them  into  a  bundle,  and  took  them 
to  the  bakehouse,  and  got  the  baker  to  put  tliem  into  the 
oven  for  a  few  hours  to'kill  anything  there  might  be  in 
them.  Now,  Sam,  it  is  time  for  us  to  be  going.  It  will 
take  us  an  hour's  scrubbing  to  get  the  color  off  us.  Be 
sure  you  keep  our  secret." 


^  THE  TOUJSQ  hUULJLu 


CHAPTER  rX. 

WITH  THE  GUEKILLAS. 

It  was  on  a  fine  morning  at  the  end  of  March  that  a  cor- 
tege of  muleteers  and  mules  left  the  little  town  of  Alonqua. 
It  was  now  four  months  since  the  Scudamores  left  the 
army,  and  in  the  intervening  time  they  had  tramped 
through  a  large  portion  of  Spain.  They  had  carried  with 
them  only  a  dozen  or  so  little  despatches  done  up  in  tiny 
rolls  of  the  length  and  about  the  thickness  of  a  bodkin. 
These  were  sewn  inside  the  lining  of  their  coats,  in  the 
middle  of  the  cloth  where  it  was  doubled  in  at  the  seams, 
so  that,  even  were  the  clothes  to  be  examined  carefully 
and  felt  all  over,  the  chances  of  detection  were  slight  in- 
deed. They  had  each,  on  starting,  half  a  dozen  pieces  of 
Spanish  gold  coin  sewn  between  the  thicknesses  of  leather 
of  the  soles  of  each  of  their  shoes,  for  they  did  not  start 
in  the  beggar  clothes  in  which  they  had  first  disguised 
themselves.  Their  clothes  were,  indeed,  worn  and  some- 
what patched,  but  were  of  stout  material,  and  they  wore 
shoes,  but  no  stockhigs.  They  had,  indeed,  the  appear- 
ance of  Spanish  boys  of  the  peasant  class.  The  weather 
in  the  north  of  Spain  is  often  very  cold  in  winter,  and 
the  boys  felt  that,  with  rags  and  bare  feet,  they  should 
suffer  severely.  All  that  they  had  to  say  and  do  had  been 
learned  by  heart.  The  names  and  addresses  of  the  agents 
of  the  British  Government  at  every  town  had  been  labori- 
ously learned  before  starting,  and,  as  Peter  said  ruefully, 
it  was  worse  than  a  dozen  Greek  impositions. 

At  each  place  of  any  importance  they  would  find  the 
person  to  whom  they  were  instructed  to  apply,  would  ao 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  137 

cost  him  with  some  password,  and  wonld  be  pnt  np  by 
him  while  they  remained  there.  When  they  had  gained 
the  intelligence  they  required — of  the  number  of  French 
troops  in  the  place  and  its  neighborhood,  a  knowledge  al- 
ways obtained  by  going  round,  counting  the  men  on  parade, 
or,  in  the  case  of  small  villages,  finding  out  easily  enough 
from  a  peasant  the  number,  quartered  there,  they  would 
write  a  report  on  the  number  the  intentions  as  far  as  they 
could  learn  them,  the'  amount  of  food  in  store,  and  the 
sentiments  of  the  population,  would  enclose  the  despatch 
in  a  goose-quill  and  give  it  to  their  host,  who  was  respon- 
sible for  forwarding  it. 

In  a  great  number  of  cases,  indeed,  the  man  to  whom 
they  were  accredited  was  a  muleteer.  These  men  hated 
the  French  with  a  hatred  even  more  deep  and  deadly  than 
that  of  other  Spaniards,  for,  in  addition  to  the  national 
causes  of  hatred,  their  mules  were  constantly  being  requi- 
sitioned or  seized  by  the  troops  and  they  themselves  forced 
to  accompany  the  army  for  long  distances  at  a  nominal 
rate  of  pay  for  themselves  and  their  animals.  Then,  too, 
they  were  in  close  connection  with  the  guerillas,  for 
whom  they  carried  goods  up  into  the  mountains  from 
the  towns,  and  when  the  chance  came  would  leave  their 
animals  in  the  mountains  and  join  in  cutting  off  an  enemy's 
convoy.  They  acted  as  messengers  and  spies  too,  and 
took  their  friends  in  the  hills  early  news  of  intended 
movements  of  the  enemy.  Many  a  day  had  the  boys 
traveled  in  the  company  of  these  muleteers,  merry, 
careless  fellows,  singing  and  talking  to  their  mules,  ap- 
parently the  best-natured  of  men,  until  something  would 
be  said  which  would  recall  the  hated  foe,  and  then  their 
black  eyes  would  flash,  their  fingers  clutch  their  knife- 
handles,  and  they  would  pour  out  long  strings  of  deep 
Spanish  oaths.  Great  was  the  surprise  of  these  men  on 
receiving  the  password  from  two  boys,  but  they  never 
hesitated  an  instant  in  taking  them  ia,  in  giving  them 


13b  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

hospitality  as  long  as  they  remained,  and  in  either  accom- 
panying them  to  the  next  town,  or  handing  them  over  to 
the  charge  of  some  comrade  going  in  that  direction.  Not 
ev3n  to  them  did  the  Scudamores  ever  betray  that  they 
were  not  what  they  were  taken  to  be,  two  Spanish  boys 
employed  by  the  English  commander  as  messengers. 
Often  they  were  questioned  how  the  English  had  come  to 
entrust  important  communications  to  two  boys,  and 
their  reply  always  was  that  their  father  and  mother  had 
fled  to  Portugal  from  the  French,  and  were  living  there 
near  the  English  lines,  and  that  they  had  offered  their 
lives  in  case  of  their  sons'  treachery. 

This  system  of  hostages  seemed  probable  enough  to  their 
questioners,  and  if  the  boys'  fare  was  rather  harder,  and 
their  treatment  more  unceremonious  than  it  would  have 
been  had  they  said  that  they  were  British  officers  in  dis- 
guise, they  ran  far  less  risk  of  detection  from  an  accidental 
word  or  sign.  Indeed  it  would  have  been  next  to  im- 
possible for  them,  had  they  desired  it,  to  convince  any 
one  of  their  identity.  There  was  no  fear  now  of  their  ac- 
cent betraying  them.  Since  they  had  left  the  army  they 
had  never,  even  when  alone  together,  spoken  in  English. 
They  made  the  rule  and  kept  to  it  for  two  reasons,  the  one 
being  that  they  found  that  if  they  did  not  get  into  this 
habit  of  always  speaking  Spanish,  they  might  inadvert- 
ently address  each  other  in  English,  and  thus  betray 
themselves  ;  the  second,  that  they  wanted  to  learn  to  speak 
absolutely  like  natives.  This  they  had  in  the  fonr  months 
thoroughly  learned  to  do.  At  first  their  pronunciation 
and  occasional  mistakes  excited  curiosity  when  asked 
questions  as  to  the  part  of  Spain  from  which  they  had 
come,  but  their  constant  communication  with  their  mule- 
teer  friends  had  quite  removed  this,  and  for  the  last  two 
months  not  one  person  had  doubted  that  they  were  not  only 
Spanish,  but  that  they  came  from  the  northern  provinces. 

Hitherto  they  had  journeyed  principally  between  large 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  139 

towns  and  over  country  held  by  the  French,  but  that  part 
of  their  work  was  finished  ',  they  had  accurately  computed 
the  number  of  the  army  with  which  Massena  was  to  ad- 
vance shortly  to  besiege  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  and  they  had 
row  to  carry  the  despatches  to  the  guerilla  leaders. 
Hitherto  they  had  not  in  a  single  instance  excited  suspi- 
cion. Xot  a  Frenchman  had  asked  them  a  question,  and 
no  adventure  of  anything  like  an  exciting  nature  had  taken 
place.  They  were  now,  however,  entering  into  a  country 
entirely  different  from  that  which  they  had  hitherto  trav- 
ersed. The  northeast  of  Spain  is  wild  and  monntainous, 
and  offers  immense  natural  facilities  for  irregular  warfare. 
Through  tlie  various  passes  of  the  Pyrenees  lead  all  the 
roads  from  France,  whether  to  Vittoria  on  the  great  road 
to  Madrid,  or  through  Navarre  to  Catalonia.  Here  and 
there  fortified  towns  still  held  out  against  the  Frenrn,  a/jd 
the  town  of  Gerona,  in  Catalonia,  had  only  faller  altei  i. 
six  months'  regular  siege,  and  a  desperate  defense  wnicn 
fully  rivals  that  of  Saragossa.  Is  it  not  a  little  singular 
that  the  Spaniards,  who  in  the  open  field  were,  with  a  few 
remarkable  exceptions,  absolutely  contemptible,  yftt  fre- 
quently defended  towns  with  wonderful  fortitudh.  oourage, 
and  desperation.  It  may,  indeed,  be  said  -har.  ir.  e^ery 
siege  wheie  the  Spaniards  were  commanded  by  brave  and 
resolute  chiefs  they  behaved  admirably.  This  great  range 
of  hill  country  was  the  stronghold  of  the  guerillas,  and 
every  convoy  from  France  had  to  be  protected  by  a  large 
force,  and  even  then  often  suffered  greatly  from  the  harass- 
ing attacks  of  their  active  enemies. 

The  bands  of  the  guerilla  chiefs  differed  greatly  in 
strength,  varying  from  merely  ten  or  a  dozen  men  to  three 
or  four  thousand,  and  indeed  each  band  varied  continually. 
The  men,  when  not  required,  would  scatter  to  their  homes, 
cultivate  their  little  patches  of  ground,  and  throw  down 
the  spade  and  take  up  the  rifle  again  when  they  heard  of 
a  convoy  to  cut  off,  or  an  invading  column  to  beat  back. 


140  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

The  bands^  too,  would  vary  in  proportion  to  the  renown 
of  their  chiefs.  An  energetic  man,  who,  at  the  head  of  a 
handful,  had  performed  some  daring  feats,  would  find 
himself  a  week  afterwards  the  leader  of  many  hundreds, 
while  a  chief  who  was  slow  and  dilatory  would  find  his 
band  melt  away  like  snow  in  summer. 

The  character  of  the  warfare  depended  much  upon  the 
character  of  the  French  generals.  A  few  of  these  kept 
the  troops  under  their  command  sternly  in  hand,  would 
permit  no  plundering,  and  insisted  upon  their  fair  treat- 
ment of  the  Spaniards.  These  in  turn  wanted  nothing 
better  than  to  remain  quietly  in  their  homes,  and  the 
guerilla  bands  would  melt  away  to  nothing.  Other  gen- 
erals, furious  at  the  savage  nature  of  the  warfare,  and  the 
incessant  toil  and  loss  entailed  upon  their  troops,  allowed 
the  latter  to  do  as  they  pleased,  and  burning  houses  and 
dead  bodies  marked  their  course.  Then  the  peasantry, 
now  turned  guerillas,  retaliated  as  savagely,  giving  no 
quarter,  sacrificing  all  prisoners,  and  putting  the  wounded 
to  death,  sometimes  with  torture.  On  both  sides  horrible 
atrocities  were  committed. 

The  guerillas  were  armed  partly  with  rifles  and  carbines, 
partly  with  muskets  landed  on  the  coast  by  the  British 
Government,  who  also,  from  time  to  time,  sent  powder  and 
money  to  assist  them  to  continue  their  resistance  to  the 
French.  Although  nowhere  really  formidable,  yet,  being 
scattered  over  a  great  extent  of  country,  these  bands  occu- 
pied very  large  bodies  of  French  troops,  who  would  other- 
wise have  been  disposable  for  general  operations  in  the  field. 
The  English  commander-in-chief  had,  of  course,  no  shadow 
of  authority  over  the  guerillas,  or,  indeed,  over  any  of  the 
Spanish  troops,  and  his  communication  to  them  simply 
asked  what  arms  and  ammunition  they  required,  and 
begged  them  to  send  him  a  list  of  the  number  of  men 
they  could  each  throw  on  the  French  communications  and 
iiues  of  retreat  in  case  he  should  find  himself  in  a  positioa 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  141 

to  make  a  general  advance  against  them.  He  also  recom- 
mended most  strongl}^  the  bearers  of  the  despatch  to  their 
care.  It  was  to  the  chief  known  as  Nunez  that  they  were 
now  bound.  The  mule  train  was  nominally  destined  for 
Vittoria,  to  which  town  the  leader  had  got  a  pass,  speci- 
fying the  number  of  mules  and  the  nature  of  the  goods 
they  carried,  from  the  French  commandant  at  Alonqua, 
for  no  one  was  allowed  to  take  the  goods  about  the  country 
without  a  pass,  in  order  to  prevent  supplies  being  for- 
warded to  the  mountains.  This  pass,  however,  only  men- 
tioned twelve  mules  with  four  drivers,  and  this  was  the  num- 
ber which  started  from  Alonqua.  Another  score  of  mules, 
however,  joined  them  at  a  short  distance  from  the  towTi 
where  a  by-road  turned  off.  Some  of  these  had  gone  out 
from  the  town  unloaded,  as  if  taken  out  to  graze,  others 
had  not  entered  the  town,  but  had  come  direct  from  the 
sea-coast  by  by-paths  with  powder,  and  had  been  awaiting 
the  departure  of  Garcias,  the  name  of  the  leader  of  the 
party.  They  had  eight  men  with  them,  all  armed  to  the 
teeth. 

'*  Is  it  all  right,  Garcias?" 

*'  All  right,"  the  leader  said ;  ''  they  have  sent  out  their 
squadrons  on  the  other  road,  so  I  think  we  are  safe  for 
to-day." 

^'  What  boys  have  you  got  there  with  you  ?  " 

'^  They  have  business  with  Nunez ;  letter  from  the 
coast." 

The  cavalcade  was  now  in  motion  again,  and  wc^nd 
gradually  up  into  the  hills.  Presently  they  came  to  a 
point  where  four  roads  met.  A  clump  of  trees  grew  hard 
by,  and  the  boys  gave  a  start  of  horror  at  seeing  the  bodies 
of  six  French  soldiers  swinging  from  them.  ''  Ay,  that's 
Nunez's  work,  I  expect,"  Garcias  said  coolly.  ''There 
were  three  of  his  men  swinging  there  last  week,  so  as  a 
lesson  he  has  hung  up  six  of  the  French,  He  is  a  rough 
boy  to  play  with,  is  Nunes." 


142  TME  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

At  sunset  the  party  slept  in  a  small  farm,  and  at  day* 
break  continued  their  journey.  They  were  now  in  the 
heart  of  the  mountains,  and  their  path  lay  sometimes  up 
deep  ravines,  sometimes  along  rocky  ledges.  At  last, 
about  midday,  they  entered  a  valley  in  which  stood  a 
small  village.  "  That's  Nunez's  head-quarters  to-day," 
Garcias  said ;  '^  to-morrow  he  may  be  no  one  knows 
where." 

*'  But  does  he  have  to  sally  out  by  the  wretched  road  by 
which  we  have  come  f  "    Tom  asked. 

^*  No,  no,''*  Garcias  replied  ;  "  he  would  not  catch  much 
prey  that  way.  There  are  three  other  ways  out  of  the 
valley.  That  winding  path  you  see  there  leads  up  to 
Santona.  That  road  on  the  other  side  leads  out  on  to  the 
plain,  and  thence  to  Vittoria ;  while  the  footpath  over  the 
brow  opposite  leads  right  down  into  the  wide  valley 
through  which  the  main  north  road  runs.  So  you  see  this 
is  a  handy  spot.  From  that  brow  we  can  see  the  convoys 
going  to  and  from  France,  and  can  pour  down  upon  them 
if  they  are  weak  ;  while,  if  a  column  is  sent  in  search  of 
us,  we  can  vanish  away  long  before  they  can  catch  us. 
Nunez  does  not  use  the  direct  road  over  the  brow  for  his 
attack,  but  follows  the  Santona  or  Vittoria  road  for  a 
while,  and  then  makes  a  swoop  round.  He  does  not  want 
to  bring  the  French  up  to  this  village,  for  his  family  and 
the  families  of  many  of  the  men  live  here." 

As  they  approached  the  village,  they  found  that  there 
was  a  good  deal  of  bustle  going  on.  Armed  men  were 
coming  out  of  the  cottages,  and  gathering  in  a  group 
round  a  rough  stone  cross,  which  stood  in  the  center  of  a 
sort  of  green.  ''  We  are  just  in  time,"  Garcias  said  ; 
**  Nunez  is  starting  on  some  expedition  or  other." 

When  they  reached  the  spot  there  were  nearly  two  hun- 
dred men  assembled.  They  greeted  Garcias  with  shouts 
of  welcome  as  he  arrived.  ^'  Ah,  ah  !  Garcias,  just  in 
time.     Our  last  skin  of  wine  was  emptied  last  night ;  w© 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  143 

will  bring  some  more  up  to-morrow  ;  but  if  yon  had  not 
come  v.e  should  have  had  to  start  thirsty,  and  that's  un- 
lucky besides  being  unpleasant." 

"  Where  is  Nunez  ! ''     Garcias  asked. 

*'  Her«  he  comes/'  was  the  reply  ;  and  the  boys  turning 
saw  a  figure  approaching,  which  by  no  means  answered  to 
the  expectation  of  the  celebrated  guerilla  chief.  He  was 
small  and  almost  humpbodied,  but  very  broad.  His  head 
seemed  too  large  for  his  body,  and  a  pair  of  fierce  eyes 
gleamed  out  from  beneath  his  shaggy  eyebrows.  His 
mustache  was  thin  and  bristly  and  his  mouth  wide,  but 
with  thin  lips.  The  boys  could  understand  the  reputa- 
tion for  cruelty  and  mercilessness  which  attached  to  this 
sinister-looking  figure,  but  there  was  none  of  the  savag« 
power  which  they  had  expected  to  see  in  so  celebrated  a 
leader. 

'^  Any  news,  Garcias  ?'^  he  asked  shortly,  as  he  came  up. 

*'  None,  captain,  except  that  these  boys  have  brought 
some  despatches  for  you  from  the  English  Lord. 

Nunez  looked  sharply  at  them,  and  held  out  his  hand 
without  speaking.     Tom  gave  him  the  little  quill. 

The  guerilla  opened  it,  read  the  contents,  and,  saying 
briefly,  **  An  answer  to-morrow,"  strode  on  to  his  men, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were  defiling  out  at  the  end  of 
the  valley. 

"  That  hardly  seems  a  strong  enough  body  to  attack  a 
French  convoy,  Garcias,"  Tom  remarked. 

^'^No,  it  would  not  be,  but  there  ]s  only  a  part  of  his 
band  here  ;  the  rest  will  join  him  at  some  place  agreed  on 
— perhaps  ten  miles  from  here.  I  believe  he  has  about  a 
thousand  men  under  his  orders.  Now  come  along ;  w% 
shall  be  none  the  worse  for  dinner,"  and,  leaving  his  men 
to  unload  the  mules,  he  led  the  way  into  the  little  posada, 
or  inn. 

*'  Ah  !  Mother  Morena,"  he  said  to  an  old  woman  who 
was  crouching  near  a  blazing  wood  fire,  *'  warming  your- 


144  THE  TOLTNG  BU GLEES. 

self  as  usual ;  it's  well  you've  a  good  fire,  for  yon  will  be 
able  to  get  us  some  dinner  all  the  more  quickly.  Twelve 
of  us  altogether,  and  all  as  hungry  as  wolves/' 

''  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  woman  crossly  ;  *'  it  seems  as 
if  I  were  never  to  have  an  hour's  quiet,  just  as  all  that  roar- 
ing, greedy  lot,  with  their  Mother  Morena  here  and  Mother 
Morena  there,  and  their  grumbling  at  the  olla,  and  their 
curses  and  their  quarrels,  are  off,  and  I  think  I  am  going 
to  have  a  quiet  afternoon,  then  you  come  in  with  your 
twelve  hungry  wolves." 

''  Ah  !  mother,  but  wolves  don't  pay,  and  we  do,  you 


see." 


The  frugal  supper  over,  the  boys  laid  down  on  the 
benches,  and  were  soon  asleep.  The  next  day  passed 
slowly,  for  the  band  were  not  expected  to  return  until  late 
at  night — perhaps  not  until  the  next  morning,  as  the  pass 
where  the  attack  would  be  made  was  some  fifteen  miles  off, 
and  the  convoy  might  not  pass  there  until  late  in  the 
afternoon.  The  boys  soon  made  friends  with  some  of  the 
women  and  children  of  the  place,  to  whom  they  told 
stories  of  the  great  cities  of  the  plain,  and  of  the  great 
water  which  washed  the  shores  of  Spain.  The  greater 
portion  of  the  Spanish  peasantry  are  incredibly  ignorant, 
and  very  few  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  village  had  ever 
gone  beyond  the  mountains.  Walking  about  in  the 
village,  but  apparently  mixing  but  very  little  in  the  games 
of  the  other  children,  were  two  little  girls,  whose  gay 
dress  of  rich  silk  seemed  strangely  out  of  place  in  such  a 
spot. 

Tom  asked  one  of  the  women  who  they  were,  and  she 
replied,  with  a  toss  of  the  head,  *'^  They  are  the  captain's 
children.  The  last  time  the  hand  went  out  they  found 
among  the  baggage  and  brough-t  up  here,  the  dresses  of 
the  children  of  some  fine  lady,  and  the  captain  kept  them 
all  as  part  of  his  share,  just  as  if  there  were  no  children  in 
tiie  village  whom  it  would  become  a  great  deal  better  than 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  146 

those  stuck-up  little  things.  Not,"  she  said,  softening  a 
little,  "  that  they  were  not  nice  enough  before  they  got 
these  things  ;  but  since  they  caine  their  heads  have  been 
quite  turned  by  the  finery  and  they  are  almost  too  grand 
to  speak  to  their  old  playfellows." 

*'  Is  their  mother  alive?  " 

''  Xo,  poor  thing,  she  was  killed  by  the  French  when 
the  village  she  lived  in  was  burned  by  them,  because  some 
of  them  were  found  hung  in  the  neighborhood.  The  cap- 
tain was  away  at  the  time  and  the  children  were  out  in 
the  woods.  When  he  came  back  he  found  them  crying  by 
the  side  of  their  mother's  body,  in  the  middle  of  the  burn- 
ing village.  So  then  he  took  to  the  mountains,  and  he 
never  spares  a  Frenchman  who  falls  into  his  hands.  He 
has  suffered,  of  course,  but  he  brought  it  upon  himself, 
for  he  had  a  hand  in  hanging  the  French  soldiers,  and  now 
he  is  a  devil.  It  will  be  bad  for  us  all ;  for  some  day, 
when  the  French  are  not  busy  with  other  things,  they  will 
rout  us  out  here,  and  then  who  can  blame  them  if  they 
pay  us  for  all  the  captain's  deeds  ?  Ah  !  me,  they  are 
terrible  times,  and  Father  Predo  says  he  thinks  the  end  of 
the  world  must  be  very  near.  I  hope  it  will  come  before 
the  French  have  time  to  hunt  us  down." 

The  boys  had  ft  hard  struggle  not  to  smile,  but  the 
woman  spoke  so  earnestly  and  seriously,  that  they  could 
only  shake  their  heads  in  grave  commiseration  for  her 
trouble  ;  and  then  Tom  asked,  **  Is  the  captain  very  fond 
of  the  children  ?  " 

"He  worships  them,"  the  woman  said;  **he  has  no 
heart  and  no  pity  for  others.  He  thinks  no  more  oi  blood 
than  I  do  of  water ;  but  he  is  as  tender  as  a  woman  with 
them.  One  of  them  was  ill  the  other  day — a  mere  noth- 
ing, a  little  fever — and  he  sat  by  her  bedside  for  eight 
days  without  ever  lying  down." 

*'  I  suppose,"  Tom  said,  *'  they  never  bring  prisoners  up 


146  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS. 

^'  Yes,  they  do/'  the^  woman  said  ;  •'  not  common  sol- 
diers :  they  kill  them  at  once  ;  but  sometimes  officers,  if 
they  want  to  exchange  them  for  some  of  ours  who  may 
have  been  taken,  or  if  they  think  they  are  likely  to  get  a 
high  ransom  for  them.  But  there,  it  always  comes  to  the 
same  thing  ;  there,  where  you  see  that  mound  on  the  hill- 
side, that's  where  they  are.  They  blindfold  them  on  their 
way  up  here,  lest  they  might  find  their  way  back  after  all. 
Only  one  or  two  have  ever  gone  down  again.  I  wish  they 
would  finish  with  them  all  down  below ;  they  are  devils 
and  heretics  these  French  ;  but  I  don't  care  about  seeing 
them  killed.  Many  of  us  do,  though,  and  we  have  not 
many  diversions  up  here,  so  I  suppose  it's  all  for  the  best." 

**  I  wish  that  fellow  had  given  us  our  answer  before  he 
went  away,"  Tom  said  to  Peter  when  they  were  alone.  "  I 
hope  he  won't  bring  any  prisoners  up  here ;  these  massacres 
are  frightful,  and  one  side  seems  as  bad  as  the  other. 
Well,  in  another  month  we  shall  have  finished  with  all 
this  work,  and  be  making  for  the  frontier  again.  Shan't 
I  be  glad  when  we  catch  sight  of  the  first  red-coats  ! " 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  the  boys  were  roused  by  a 
general  bustle,  and  found  that  a  messenger  had  just  ar- 
rived, saying  that  the  expedition  had  been  successful,  that 
a  portion  of  the  enemy  had  been  cut  off,  their  rear-guard 
destroyed,  and  that  the  whole  band  would  be  up  soon  after 
daylight.  The  village  was  astir  early,  but  it  was  not 
until  nine  o'clock  that  the  guerilla  band,  arrived.  The 
boys  saw  at  a  glance  that  they  were  stronger  in  numbers 
than  when  they  started,  and  that  with  them  were  some 
twenty  or  thirty  baggage  animals. 

The  women  flocked  out  to  meet  them  with  shrill  cries  of 
welcome.  The  booty  taken  was  not  of  any  great  value  in 
money,  but  was  more  valuable  than  gold  to  the  guerillas. 

Each  one  of  the  band  carried,  in  addition  to  his  own 
piece,  a  new  French  musket,  while  in  the  barrels  on  the 
mules  were  powder  and  ball ;  there  were  bales  of  cloth,  and 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLEliS,  147 

gome  cases  of  brandy  and  champagne,  and  a  few  boxes  and 
portmanteaus  of  officers'  baggage.  In  the  rear  of  all,  under 
a  strong  guard,  were  two  French  officers,  both  wounded, 
a  lady  and  a  child  of  some  seven  or  eight  years  old. 

After  a  boisterous  greeting  to  their  wives,  the  band  broke 
up,  and  scattered  over  the  village,  three  or  four  men  re- 
maining to  guard  the  captives,  who  were  told  to  sit  down 
against  a  wall. 

The  whole  band  were  soon  engaged  in  feasting,  but  no 
one  paid  the  least  attention  to  the  prisoners.  The  lady  had 
sunk  down  exhausted,  with  the  little  girl  nestled  close  to 
her,  the  officers  faint  and  pale  from  loss  of  blood,  leaned 
against  the  wall.  One  of  them  asked  the  guards  for  some 
water,  but  the  men  paid  no  attention  to  the  request,  an- 
swering only  with  a  savage  curse.  Tom  and  Peter,  who 
were  standing  by,  immediately  went  to  the  inn,  filled  a  jug 
with  water,  and,  taking  a  drinking  horn  and  some  bread, 
-went  back.  One  of  the  guards  angrily  ordered  them  back 
as  they  approached. 

*'  I  am  not  going  to  free  them,"  Tom  said,  soothingly  ; 
*'  there  can  be  no  reason  why  they  should  die  of  thirst,  if 
they  are  enemies." 

'^I  am  thirsty  myself,"  one  of  the  guard  said,'' and  it 
does  us  good  to  see  them  thirst." 

"  What,  has  no  one  brought  you  anything  to  drink  ?'* 
Tom  said,  in  a  tone  of  surprise.  "  Here,  Peter,  you  give 
this  bread  and  water  to  these  prisoners  ;  I  will  run  to 
Mother  Morena's  and  bring  some  wine  for  the  guard." 

The  guard  would  not  allow  Peter  to  approach  the  cap- 
tives until  Tom  arrived  with  a  large  jug  of  wine,  and  a 
cold  fowl,  which  he  had  obtained  at  the  inn.  These  the 
Spaniards  accepted,  and  allowed  the  boys  to  give  the  water 
to  the  prisoners.  All  drank  eagerly,  with  every  expression 
of  thankfulness,  the  lady  seizing  Peter's  hand  and  kissing 
it  as  he  handed  the  horn  to  the  child.  The  lady  was  a 
very  bright,  pretty  woman,  though  now  pale  and  woro 


148  '^^^  YOUNG  BUOLEBS. 

with  fatigue  and  emotion,  and  the  child  was  a  lovely  littU 
creature. 

The  boys,  on  leaving  the  prisoners,  hurried  to  Garcias. 

"  What  are  they  going  to  do  with  the  prisoners,  Garcias  ?  " 

'*  They  have  brought  them  up  here  to  exchange  for 
Nunez's  lieutenant,  who  was  taken  last  week.  One  of  the 
men  went  off  last  night  to  Vittoria  with  a  letter  to  offer  to 
exchange.  One  of  the  officers  is  a  colonel,  and  the  young 
one  a  captain.  The  lady  is,  they  say,  the  wife  of  General 
Keynier." 

^*  Then  they  are  safe,"  Tom  said  joyfully,  "  for,  of  course 
the  French  would  exchange  a  guerilla  against  three  such 
prisoners." 

*'  Yes,"  Garcias  said,  **  they  are  safe  if  Vagas  has  not 
been  shot  before  the  messenger  gets  to  Vittoria.  The  mes- 
senger will  hear  directly  he  gets  there,  and  if  they  have 
finished  Vagas,  he  will  come  straight  back,  for  his  letter 
will  be  of  no  use  then." 

**  But  the  French  would  pay  a  ransom  for  them." 

**  Yes  ;  but  the  captain  is  never  fond  of  ransoming,  and 
if  the  news  comes  that  Vagas  is  shot  it  is  all  up  with  them." 

*'  But  they  will  never  murder  a  woman  and  child  in  cold 
blood  !  "  Tom  said,  in  tones  of  indignant  horror. 

*'  Women  are  killed  on  both  sides,"  the  muleteer  said, 
placidly.  "  I  don't  hold  to  it  myself,  but  I  don't  know, 
after  all,  why  a  woman's  life  is  a  bit  more  precious  than  a 
man's.  Vagas's  wife  and  children  are  here,  too,  and  if  the 
news  comes  of  his  death,  she  would  stir  the  band  up  to 
kill  the  prisoners,  even  if  the  captain  wanted  to  save  them, 
which  he  certainly  will  not  do." 

*'  When  is  the  messenger  expected  back  ?  " 

'^  If  he  goes  to  Vittoria  and  finds  Vagas  is  alive,  and 
arranges  for  the  exchange,  he  won't  be  back  till  late  to- 
night, perhaps  not  till  to-morrow  ;  but,  if  he  hears,  either 
on  the  way  or  directly  he  gets  there,  that  he  is  dead,  he 
m&j  be  back  this  afternoon."  Soon  after  this  conversatiou 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS.  149 

Garcias  was  sent  for  to  the  chief,  and  returned  with  a  small 
note,  which  he  handed  to  the  bovs  as  the  answer  to  the 
despatch,  and  urged  them  to  go  at  once.  The  boys  said 
that  they  could  not  leave  until  they  saw  the  end  of  this 
terrible  drama  which  was  passing  before  their  eyes.  It  was 
early  in  the  afternoon  when  a  man  was  seen  coming  along 
the  path  from  Vittoria.  A  hundred  eager  eyes  examined 
him,  and  ere  long  it  was  declared  as  certain  that  it  was  the 
messenger.  The  boys'  heart  sank  within  theni  as  they 
saw  the  fierce  look  cast  by  the  Spaniards  in  the  direction 
of  the  prisoners,  for  every  one  in  the  village  was  well  aware 
of  the  meaning  of  this  early  return.  The  boys  had  ar- 
ranged upon  the  course  they  would  pursue,  and  they  at 
once  hurried  to  Garcias. 

^'  Please  come  with  us  at  once  to  Nunez.  We  want  to 
see  him  before  the  messenger  arrives." 

"  I  will  come  with  you/'  Garcias  said  ;  '*  but  if  you 
think  that  any  talking  of  yours  will  persuade  Nunez  to 
move  out  of  his  way,  you  are  mistaken.  It  is  more  likely 
to  cost  you  your  own  lives,  I  can  tell  you  ;  however,  I  gave 
you  the  promise  I  would  do  my  best  for  you  when  you 
started  with  me,  and  I  will  go  with  you  now,  though  what 
you  want  to  interfere  for  here  is  more  than  I  can  make  out. 
Pshaw  !  what  matters  two  or  three  of  these  accursed 
French,  more  or  less  ? '' 

As  they  neared  the  chief's  house  they  saw  him  coming 
towards  them.  His  brow  was  as  black  as  thunder ;  he  was 
evidently  prepared  for  the  news  of  his  lieutenant's  death. 

"  These  messengers  want  to  speak  to  you  for  a  moment," 
Garcias  said. 

The  chief  stopped  with  an  impatient  gesture. 

*'  Sefior,"  Tom  said,  with  a  dignity  which  surprised  the 
chief  ;  ''we  are  not  what  we  seem.  We  are  two  English 
officers,  and  we  have  come  to  beg  of  you,  to  implore  you, 
not  to  tarnish  the  cause  for  which  you  fight  by  shedding 
the  blood  of  women  and  children." 


150  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

The  boj^s  had  agreed  that  it  would  be  altogether  hope^ 
less  to  try  to  save  the  French  officers. 

''British  officers,  indeed/'  exclaimed  Nunez,  a  'likely 
story.     Do  you  know  them  as  such,  Garcias  ?  " 

"No,"  Garcias  said  bluntly,  '*  I  never  guessed  at  it ;  but 
now  they  say  so,  I  think  it's  likely  enough,  for  they  don't 
seem  to  see  things  in  the  same  way  as  other  people." 

"I  can  give  you  proof  of  it,''  Tom  said,  calmly,  pulling 
up  the  sleeve  of  his  coat,  and  showing  a  cicatrix  in  his  fore- 
arm. Taking  a  knife  from  his  pocket,  he  cut  into  the 
skin,  and  drew  forth  a  tiny  silver  tube.  This  he  opened, 
and  handed  to  Nunez  a  paper  signed  by  Lord  Wellington, 
declaring  the  bearers  to  be  British  officers,  and  requesting 
all  loyal  Spaniards  to  give  them  every  assistance. 

The  captain  read  it  through,  and  flung  it  down.  ^'  Yon 
may  be  officers,"  he  said  contemptuously;  '''but  if  y©u 
were  Lord  Wellington  himself,  I  would  not  spare  these  a@- 
cursed  French.  Listen  ! "  and  as  he  spoke  a  howl  of  ra§e 
ran  from  the  other  end  of  the  village,  and  told  too  plainly 
the  nature  of  the  tidings  the  messenger  had  brought. 

"  I  again  protest,"  Tom  said  firmly.  *'  I  protest,  as  a 
British  officer,  and  in  the  name  of  humanity,  against  this 
cold-blooded  murder  of  a  Avoman  and  child.  It  is  a  dis- 
grace to  Spain,  a  disgrace  to  the  cause,  it  is  a  bi:utal  and 
cowardly  act." 

The  guerilla  furiously  drew  a  pistol ;  but  Garcia^  placed 

'himself  between  him  and  Tom.     ''I  have  promised  him  a 

safe  conduct,"  he  said,  ''and  have  given  my  word  for  his 

safety.     He  is  only  a  boy,  and  a  young  fool ;  don't  trouble 

with  him." 

Fortunately  at  this  moment,  for  the  guerilla  was  still 
irresolutely  handling  his  pistol,  a  crowd  was  seen  coming 
towards  them,  headed  by  a  woman  who  seemed  frantic  with 
rage  and  grief.  All  were  shouting,  "  Death  to  the  assas- 
sins I  death  to  the  French  ! "  The  chief  at  once  mov«(3 
torward  to  meet  them. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  161 

Tom  and  Peter  gave  a  significant  glance  towards  each 
other,  and  then  Tom  turned  to  go  back  towards  the  house 
which  Nunez  inhabited,  while  Peter  hurried  towards  the 
spot  where  the  prisoners  were  kept.  Already  a  crowd  was 
assembling  who  were  talking  threateningly  at  the  French 
officers.  Peter  made  his  way  through  them  until  he  stood 
by  the  lady,  who,  with  her  child  clinging  to  her  neck, 
looked  in  terror  at  the  angry  crowd,  whose  attention,  how- 
ever, was  directed  to  the  officers,  who  stood  looking  calmly 
indifferent  to  their  threats  and  insults. 

"  Do  you  speak  Spanish,  madam  ?  "  Peter  asked,  lean- 
ing over  her. 

She  shook  her  head. 

*'  Do  you  speak  English  ?  "  he  asked,  in  that  tongue. 

''  Yes,  yes,  a  little,"  the  lady  said,  eagerly  ;  "  who  ar« 
you  ?    What  is  this  fierce  crowd  about  ?  " 

^'  Hush  !  "  Peter  said.  *^  I  am  a  friend.  Listen.  In 
a  few  minutes  they  are  going  to  shoot  you  all."  The  lady 
gave  a  stifled  cry,  and  pressed  her  child  close  to  her. 
*'  Ptemember,  w^hen  they  come  to  you,  ask  for  a  priest ; 
gain  a  few  minutes,  and  I  hope  to  save  you  and  the  child." 

So  saying,  he  slipped  away  into  the  crowd  again.  H© 
had  scarcely  done  so  when  Xunez  arrived,  accompanied  by 
many  of  his  men.  The  crowd  fell  back,  and  he  strode  up 
to  the  French  officers.  ^'French  dogs,"  he  said,  ''you 
are  to  die.  I  spared  you  to  exchange,  but  your  com- 
patriots have  murdered  my  lieutenant,  and  so  now  it's  your 
turn.  You  may  think  yourselves  lucky  that  I  shoot  you, 
instead  of  hanging  you.  Take  them  to  that  wall,"  he  said, 
pointing  to  one  some  twenty  yards  off. 

The  Frenchmen  understood  enough  Spanish  to  know 
'that  their  fate  was  sealed.  Without  a  word  they  took 
each  other's  hands,  and  marched  proudly  to  the  spot  point- 
ed out.  Here,  turning  round,  they  looked  with  calm 
courage  at  the  Spaniards,  who  formed  up  with  leveled  mus- 
kets at  a  few  paces  distance.     ''  Vive  la  Franco  I  Tirez/* 


152  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

said  the  elder,  in  a  firm  voice,  and  in  a  moment  they  fell 
back  dead,  pierced  with  a  dozen  balls. 

Peter  had  turned  away  when  Nunez  appeared  on  the 
scene,  to  avoid  seeing  the  murder,  and  with  his  eyes  fixed 
in  the  direction  in  which  Tom  had  gone,  he  listened  almost 
breathlessly  to  what  should  come.  The  French  lady  had 
sat  immovable,  cowering  over  her  child,  while  her  country- 
men were  taken  away  and  murdered.  As  Nunez  passed 
where  she  crouched,  he  said  to  two  of  his  men,  ''Put  your 
muskets  to  their  heads,  and  finish  them  ! "  Aa  the  men 
approached,  she  lifted  up  her  face,  pale  as  death,  and 
said, — 

*'  XJn  pretre,  uno  padre  !  " 

"  She  wants  a  priest,"  the  men  said,  drawing  back  ;  **  she 
has  a  right  to  absolution." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  assent  from  those  around,  and 
tv,^o  or  three  started  to  the  priest's  house,  situated  only  a 
few  yards  away,  being  one  of  the  end  houses  of  the  village. 
The  priest  soon  appeared,  came  up  to  the  spot,  and  received 
orders  to  shrive  the  Frenchwoman.  He  attempted  a  re- 
monstrance, but  was  silenced  by  a  threat  from  Nunez,  and 
knowing  from  experience  of  such  scenes  that  his  influence 
went  for  nothing  with  Nunez  and  his  fierce  band^  he  bent 
over  her,  and  the  crowd  drew  back>  to  let  them  speak  un- 
heard. At  this  moment,  to  Peter's  intense  relief,  he  saw 
Tom  approaching  with  the  captain's  two  children  walking 
beside  him.  Absorbed  in  what  was  passing  before  them, 
no  one  else  looked  round,  and  Peter  slipped  away  and 
joined  his  brother.  They  came  within  twenty  jards  of  the 
crowd,  and  then  paused. 

**  Wait  a  minute,"  Tom  said  to  the  children, ''  your  father 
is  busy.'* 

In  another  minute  Nunez  shouted  roughly,  "  There  that 
will  do  ;  finish  with  it  and  have  done  !  I  want  to  be  off 
to  my  dinner." 

Tom  and  Peter  simultaneously  drew  out  a  large  Spanish 


"Stop!   or  by  Heaven  there  will  be  four  victlms  instead  of  two.  • 
y.  B.  Page  I5i, 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  158 

knife,  and  each  took  one  of  the  children  firmly  by  the 
shoulder. 

"  Stop  I  Sefior  Nunez  !  "  Tom  shouted  in  a  loud,  clear 
tone.  **  Stop  !  or  by  heaven  there  will  be  four  victims 
instead  of  two  !  Let  one  of  you  lift  a  Cnger  against  these 
captives — let  one  of  you  come  one  step  nearer  to  us — and, 
by  the  Holy  Virgin,  we  will  drive  our  knives  into  these 
children's  hearts  ! " 

A  cry  of  astonishment  broke  from  the  crowd,  and  one 
of  agony  and  rage  from  Nunez,  who  tottered  against  a  wall 
in  horror  at  the  danger  in  which  his  daughters  were  placed. 

*'  Listen  !  all  of  you,"  Tom  said,  '*  we  are  English 
officers,  we  have  shown  our  papers  to  Nunez,  and  he  knows 
it  is  so.  We  will  not  suffer  this  murder  of  a  mother  and 
her  child.  If  they  are  to  die,  we  will  die  with  them  ;  but 
these  two  children  shall  die  too!  Now,  what  is  it  to 
be?" 

A  dozen  of  the  guerillas  leveled  their  guns  at  the  two 
daring  boys. 

"  No  !  no  !  "  Nunez  shrieked ;  "  lower  your  guns. 
Don't  hurt  the  children,  seflors.  The  captives  shall  not 
be  hurt ;  I  swear  it !  They  shall  go  free.  Give  me  my 
children." 

"  Not  if  I  know  it,"  Tom  said  ;  ''  Do  you  think  I  could 
trust  the  word  of  a  man  who  would  murder  women  and 
children  in  cold  blood  ?  No  ;  these  girls  shall  go  with  ua 
as  hostages,  till  we  are  safe  under  French  guard." 

"They  will  tell  them  the  way  up  here,"  said  one  of  the 
woman  in  the  group,  ^'and  then  we  shall  be  all  killed." 

*'  No,"  Tom  said  ;  "  the  lady  shall  swear  not  to  tell  the 
way  up  here.  She  shall  swear  on  your  priest's  crucifix. 
We  will  give  you  our  words  as  British  officers." 

'^But  how  are  the  children  to  get  back  here  again  ?  *' 
another  asked,  for  Nunez  was  so  paralyzed  that  he  could 
only  gaze  on  the  children,  who  were  crying  bitterly,  and 
implore    them  to  stand  quiet,  and  not  try  to  get  away. 


154  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

After  more  parleying  the  arrangements  were  completed. 
The  crowd  fell  back  on'  either  side,  so  as  to  leave  a  large 
space  round  the  French  lady.  Tom  and  Peter  then  went 
up  to  them  with  the  little  girls.  The  lady  was  sobbing 
with  joy  and  iexcitement  at  this  unexpected  relief. 

"  Can  you  walk  ?"   Tom  asked  her  in  English. 

"  Yes/'  she  said,  getting  up  hastily,  but  almost  falling 
again. 

*'  Gai^cias  will  go  first,  as  guide.  The  priest  will  give 
you  his  arm,"  Tom  Went  on,  "  these  two  young  women 
will  go  With  you  and  carry  yoUr  child  if  necessary.  You 
will  Walk  on,  twenty  yards  ahead  of  us.  We  follow  with 
these  girls.  No  one  is  to  follow  us,  or  accompany  us.  We 
are  to  go  oh  like  that  till  we  come  upoti  your  outposts,  and 
then  the  priest  and  the  two  Women  will  bring  back  Kunez'a 
children." 

''You  will  send  them  safe  back,  you  swear?"  asked 
Nune2,  in  tremulous  tones. 

**Psha!"Tom  said  contemptuously,  "you  don*t  sup- 
pose we  are  child-murderers,  like  yourself." 

"  Remember  ! "  the  guerilla  said^  in  a  sudden  burst  of 
passion  j  '*  if  you  ever  cross  my  path  again,  I  will " 

*'  Do  terrible  things  no  doubt,"  Tom  said  scornfully  ; 
**  and  do  you  beware^  too.  It  is  wild  beasts  like  yourself 
who  have  brought  disgrace  and  ruin  on  Spain.  No  defeat 
could  dishonor  and  disgrace  her  as  much  as  your  fiendish 
cruelty.  It  is  in  revenge  for  the  deeds  that  you  and  those 
like  yon  do,  that  the  French  carry  the  sword  and  fire  to 
your  villages.  We  may  drive  the  French  out,  but  never 
will  a  country  which  fights  by  murder  and  treachery  be- 
come a  great  nation.     Are  you  ready,  Garcias  ! " 

"I  am  ready,"  the  muleteer  said,  stepping  forward  from 
the  silent  and  scowling  throng. 

''  We  can  trust  you,"  Tom  said  heartily  ;  ''  take  us  the 
short  Way  straight  down  into  the  valley  ;  we  may  have  the 
luck  to  come  upon  &  passing  French  troop  in  an  hour^ 


TBJE  YOUNG  buglers:  15^i 

Think  of  that,  madam /^  he  said  to  the  French  lady,  "  let 
that  give  yon  strength  and  conrage/' 

So  saying,  the  procession  set  out  in  the  ord^r  Tom  had 
indicated,  ? midst  the  curses  of  the  guerillas,  who  were 
furious  at  seeing  themselves  thus  bearded.  At  the  brow 
of  the  hill  Tom  looked  back,  and  saw  that  the  guerillas 
were  still  standing  in  a  group,  in  front  of  which  he  could 
distinguish  the  figure  of  Nunez.  Taking  of  his  hat,  he 
waved  an  ironical  farewell,  and  then  followed  the  party 
down  the  hillside  into  the  broad  valley  below.  They  could 
see  the  road  stretching  like  a  thread  along  it,  but  to  their 
disappointment,  not  a  figure  was  visible  upon  it.  Now 
that  there  was  no  longer  danger  of  treachery,  the  party 
closed  up  together. 

*^  How  far  is  it  to  Vittoria,  Garcias  ?  '- 

'*  Twenty  good  miles,  genor./' 

*'  But  we  shall  never  get  there, ^'  Tom  said  in  dismay. 
*'I  am  sure  the  lady  could  not  walk  another  five  miles  ; 
she  is  quite  exhausted  now/' 

*'  You  will  not  have  to  go  five  miles,  senor.  There  is  a 
body  of  four  or  five  hundred  French  in  that  large  village 
you  see  there  ;  it  is  not  more  than  three  miles  at  most.'^ 

It  was  a  weary  journey,  for  the  French  lady,  exhausted 
"by  fatigue  and  excitement,  was  often  obliged  to  stop  and 
sit  down  to  rest,  and,  indeed,  could  not  have  got  on  at  all 
had  not  Garcias  on  one  side  and  the  padre  on  the  other 
helped  her  on.  At  last,  jnst  m  the  sun  was  setting,  they 
approached  the  village,  and  could  see  the  French  sentries 
at  i  ts  entrance.   When  within  a  hundred  yards  they  paused. 

''  We  are  safe  now/^  Tom  said  ;  *'  it  is  not  necessary  for 
you  to  go  farther.  Good-by,  little  ones  ;  I  am  sorry  we 
have  given  you  such  a  fright,  hut  it  was  not  our  fault. 
Good-by,  padre  ;  I  know  that  you  will  not  grudge  your 
walk,  for  the  sake  of  its  saving  the  lives  of  these  unfor- 
tunates. Good-by,  Garcias  ;  thanks  for  your  kindness 
and  fidelity.     I  will  report  them  when  I  return,  and  will. 


156  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

if  I  get  a  chance,  send  yon  a  remembraiice  of  our  journey 
together." 

*•' Good-by,  senors,"  Garcias  said,  shaking  them  by  the 
hand  ;  ''  you  English  are  different  to  us,  and  I  am  not  sur- 
prised now  at  your  General  holding  Portugal  against  all 
the  French  armies."  Then  he  lowered  his  voice,  so  that 
the  Spanish  women  standing  by  could  not  hear  him. 
"  Be  on  your  guard,  senors  ;  don't  move  on.from  the  vil- 
lage without  a  strong  convoy  is  going  on  ;  change  your 
disguise,  if  possible  ;  distrust  every  one  you  come  across, 
and,  in  heaven's  name,  get  back  to  your  lines  as  soon  as 
possible,  for  you  may  be  assured  that  your  steps  will  be 
dogged,  and  that  you  will  be  safe  nowhere  in  Spain  from 
Nunez's  vengeance.  The  guerillas  communicate  with  each 
other,  and  you  are  doomed  if  you  fall  into  the  hands 
of  any,  except,  perhaps,  one  or  two  of  the  greater  chiefs. 
Be  always  or  your  guard  ;  sleep  with  your  eyes  open. 
Kemember,  except  in  the  middle  of  a  French  regiment, 
you  will  never  be  really  safe." 

''  Thanks,  Garcias  !  "  the  boys  said  earnestly,  *'  we  will 
do  our  best  to  keep  our  throats  safe.  At  any  rate,  if  we 
go  down,  it  shall  not  be  for  want  of  watchfulness  ! " 

Another  shake  of  the  hands,  and  the  party  separated. 
The  Spanish  woman  who  was  carrying  the  sleeping  French 
child  handed  her  over  to  Tom,  who  took  her  without  wak- 
ing her  while  Peter  lent  his  arm  to  the  French  lady. 

'^  Madam,"  Tom  said  in  English,  '^you  will  soon  be 
among  your  friends.  I  know  that  you  will  keep  your 
promise  not  to  divulge  the  situation  of  the  village  you  have 
left.  I  must  ask  you,  also,  to  promise  me  not  to  say  that 
we  speak  English,  or  to  say  anything  which  may  create  a 
suspicion  that  we  are  not  what  we  seem.  You  will,  of 
course,  relate  your  adventures,  and  speak  of  us  merely  as 
Spanish  boys,  who  acted  as  they  did  being  moved  by  pity 
for  you.  We  must  accompany  you  for  some  time,  for 
Nunez  will  move  heaven  and  earth  to  get  as  assassinated^ 


TEE  70UNQ   BUGLERS.  167 

and  all  we  want  is  that  you  shall  obtain  permission  for  us 
to  sleep  in  the  guard-room,  so  as  to  be  under  shelter  of 
French  bayonets  until  we  can  decide  upon  our  course  of 
action. " 

The  lady  assented  with  a  gesture,  for  she  was  too  ex- 
hausted to  speak,  and  as  they  reached  the  French  sentries 
Bbe  tottered  and  sank  down  ou  the  ground  iuseusibie. 


158  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 


CHAPTER  X. 

MADRID. 

The  French  sentries,  who  had  been  watching  with  sur- 
prise the  slow  approach  of  two  peasant  boys,  the  one  carry- 
ing a  child,  the  other  assisting  a  woman  clad  in  handsome, 
but  torn  and  disheveled  clothes,  on  seeing  the  latter  fall, 
called  to  their  comrades,  and  a  sergeant  and  some  soldiers 
came  out  from  a  guard-room  close  by. 

"  Hallo  ! ''  said  the  sergeant.  ''  What's  all  this  ?  Who 
is  this  woman  ?    And  where  do  you  come  from  ?  " 

The  boys  shook  their  heads. 

**  Of  course, *'  the  sergeant  said,  lifting  the  lady,  '^  they 
don't  understand  French  ;  how  should  they  ?  She  looks  a 
lady,  poor  thing.     Who  can  she  be,  I  wonder  ?  " 

'*  General  Keynier,"  Tom  said,  touching  her. 

"  General  Reynier  ! "  exclaimed  the  sergeant  to  his  com- 
rades. '^  It  must  be  the  general's  wife.  I  heard  she  was 
among  those  killed  or  carried  off  from  that  convoy  that 
came  through  last  night.  Jacques,  fetch  out  Captain 
Thibault,  and  you,  Noel,  run  for  Dr.  Pasques." 

The  officer  on  guard  came  out,  and,  upon  hearing  the 
sergeant's  report,  had  Madame  Reynier  at  once  carried 
into  a  house  hard  by,  and  sent  a  message  to  the  colonel  of 
the  regiment.  The  little  girl,  still  asleep,  was  also  carried 
in  and  laid  down,  and  the  regimental  doctor  and  the 
colonel  soon  arrived.  The  former  went  into  the  house, 
the  latter  endeavored  in  vain  to  question  the  boys  in 
French.  Finding  it  useless,  he  walked  up  and  down  im- 
patiently until  a  message  came  down  from  the  doctor  that 


7HE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  159 

the  lady  had  reeoyered  from  her  fainting  fit,  and  wished 
to  see  him  at  once. 

Tom  and  Peter,  finding  that  no  one  paid  any  atention 
to  them,  sat,  quietly  down  by  the  guard-house. 

In  a  few  minutes   the   French   colonel    came    down. 
''  Where  are  those  boys  ?  "  he  exclaimed  hastily.     There 
was  quite  a  crowd  of  soldiers  round  the  house,  for  the  news 
of  the  return  of  General  Reynier's  wife  and  child  had 
circulated    rapidly    and    created    qnite    an    excitement. 
*'  Where  are  those  boys  ? ''  he  shouted  again. 
The  sergeant  of  the  guard  came  forward. 
*'  I  had  no  orders  to  keep  them  prisoners,  sir/'  he  said 
in  an  apologetic  tone,  for  he  had  not  noticed  the  boys,  and 
thought  that  he  was  going  to  get  into  a  scrape  for  not 
detaining  them  ;  but  he  was  interrupted  by  one  of  the 
soldiers  who  had  heard  the  question,  bringing  them  for- 
ward. 

To  the  astonishment  of  the  soldiers,  the  colonel  rushed 
forward,  and,  with  a  Frenchman's  enthusiasm,  actually 
kissed  them.  ^' Mes  braves  gargons!''  he  exclaimed. 
"  Mes  braves  gar(jons  !  Look  you,  all  of  you,''  he  ex- 
claimed to  the  soldiers,  ''  you  see  these  boys,  they  are 
heroes,  they  have  saved,  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives, 
maik  you.  General  Reynier's  wife  and  daughter  ;  they  have 
braved  the  fury  of  that  accursed  Xunez  and  his  band,  and 
have  brought  them  out  from  that  den  of  wolves.''  x\nd 
then,,  in  excited  tones,  he  described  the  scene  as  he  had 
heard  it  from  Madame  Reynier. 

At  rhis  relation  the  enthusiasm  of  the  French  soldiers 
broke  out  in  a  chorus  of  cheers  and  excited  exclamations. 
The  men  crowded  round  the  boys,  shook  them  by  the  hands, 
patted  them  on  the  back,  and  in  a  hundred  strange  oaths 
vowed  an  eternal  friendship  for  them. 

After  a  minute  or  two,  the  colonel  raised  his  hand  for 
silence.  ''Look  you,"  he  said  to  the  men.  ''You  can 
imagine  that,  after  what  these  boys  have  done,  their  life 


160  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

is  not  safe  for  a  moment.  This  accursed  N"nnez  will  dog 
them  and  have  them  assassinated  if  he  can.  So  I  leave 
them  to  you ;  you  will  take  care  of  them,  my  children, 
will  you  not  ?  " 

A  chorus  of  assurances  was  the  reply,  and  the  boys  found 
themselves  as  it  were  adopted  into  the  regiment.  The 
soldiers  could  not  do  enough  for  them,  but,  as  neither 
party  understood  the  other's  language,  the  intercourse  did 
not  make  much  progress.  They  had,  however,  real  diffi- 
culty in  refusing  the  innumerable  offers  of  a  glass  of  wine 
or  brandy  made  to  them  by  every  group  of  soldiers  as  they 
moved  about  through  the  village. 

The  boys  felt  that  their  position  was  a  false  one  ;  and 
although,  in  point  of  fact,  they  had  no  report  to  make 
upon  the  regiment,  still  the  possibility  that  if  discovered 
they  might  be  thought  to  have  been  acting  as  spies  on  men 
who  treated  them  with  so  much  friendliness  was  repug- 
nant to  them.  However,  their  stay  was  not  to  be  pro- 
longed, for  the  regiment  had  already  been  stationed  for  a 
month  at  the  village,  and  was  to  be  relieved  by  another 
expected  hourly  from  France,  and  was  then  to  go  on  to 
Madrid.  This  they  learned  from  one  of  the  soldiers  who 
could  speak  a  few  words  of  Spanish. 

It  was  upon  the  third  day  after  their  arrival  that  the 
expected  regiment  came  in,  and  next  morning  the  boys 
started  soon  after  daybreak  with  their  friends.  They  had 
not  seen  Madame  Eeynier  during  their  stay  in  the  village, 
for  she  was  laid  up  with  a  sharp  attack  of  illness  after  the 
excitement  she  had  g6ne  through.  She  was  still  far  from 
fit  to  travel,  but  she  insisted  on  going  on,  and  a  quantity 
of  straw  was  accordingly  laid  in  a  cart,  pillows  and  cush- 
ions were  heaped  on  this,  and  an  awning  was  arranged 
above  to  kee])  off  the  sun.  The  regiment  had  taken  on  the 
transport  animals  which  had  come  in  with  the  baggage  of 
the  troops  the  night  before  ;  hence  the  mule  drivers  and 
other  followers  were  all  strangers.    The  boys  were  marching 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  161 

beside  the  regiment,  talking  with  one  of  the  sergeants  who 
had  been  previously  for  two  years  in  Spain,  and  spoke  a 
little  Spanish,  when  the  colonel,  who  had  been  riding 
alongside  Madame  Reynier,  told  them  as  he  passed  on  to 
the  head  of  the  regiment,  that  she  wished  to  speak  to 
them. 

The  boys  fell  out,  and  allowed  the  troops  and  the  line 
of  baggage-animals  and  carts  to  pass  them.  As  the  latter 
came  along,  Tom  observed  one  of  the  Spanish  drivers 
glance  in  their  direction,  and  immediately  avert  his 
head. 

^' Peter,  that  fellow  is  one  of  Xunez's  band";  I  will  al- 
most swear  to  his  face.  Xo  doubt  he  has  joined  the  convoy 
for  the  purpose  of  stabbing  us  on  the  first  opportunity. 
I  expected  this.     We  must  get  rid  of  them  at  once.'^ 

The  boys  had  both  been  furnished  with  heavy  cavalry 
pistols  by  order  of  the  colonel,  to  defend  themselves  against 
any  sudden  attack,  and,  placing  his  hand  on  the  butt  in 
readiness  for  instant  use,  Tom,  accompanied  by  his  brother 
walked  up  to  the  Spaniard. 

^' You  and  those  with  you  are  known,"  he  said.  ^^  Un- 
less you  all  fall  out  at  the  next  village  we  come  to,  I  will 
denounce  you,  and  you  haven't  five  minutes  to  live  after  I 
do  so.     Mind,  if  one  goes  on  you  all  suffer. '^ 

The  Spaniard  uttered  a  deep  execration,  and  put  his 
hand  on  his  knife,  but  seeing  that  the  boys  vrere  in  readi- 
ness, and  that  the  French  baggage-guard  marching  along- 
side would  certainly  shoot  him  before  he  could  escape,  he 
relinquished  his  design. 

''  Mind,''  Tom  said,  ^^  the  first  village  ;  it  is  only  a  mile 
ahead,  and  we  shall  probably  halt  there  for  five  minutes  ; 
if  one  of  you  goes  a  single  foot  beyond  it,  you  will  swing 
in  a  row.'' 

So  saying,  the  boys  dropped  behind  again  until  Madame 
Reynier's  cart  came  along.  The  sides  were  open,  and  the 
lady,  who  was  sitting  up,  supported  by  pillows,  with  her 


162  THt:  TOVNG  BUOLBUB, 

child  beside  her,  saw  them,  and  called  to  them  to  climb 
up  to  her.  They  did  so  at  once,  and  she  then  poured 
forth  her  thanks  in  tones  of  the  deepest  gratitude. 

*'  My  husband  is  not  at  Madrid,^'  she  said  when  she  saw 
by  the  boys'  confusion  that  they  would  be  really  glad  if 
she  would  say  no  more  ;  '^but  when  he  hears  of  it  he  will 
thank  you  for  saving  his  wife  and  child.  Of  course,''  she 
went  on,  *'  I  can  see  that  you  are  not  what  you  seem. 
Spanish  bby^  would  not  have  acted  so.  Spanish  boys  do 
not  speak  English.  That  makes  it  impossible  for  me  in 
any  way  to  endeavor  to  repay  my  obligation.  Had  you 
been  even  Spanish  peasants,  the  matter  would  have  been 
comparatively  easy ;  then  my  husband  could  have  made 
you  rich  and  comfortable  fot*  life  ;  as  it  is — " 

She  paused,  evidently  hoping  that  they  would  indicate 
some  way  in  Which  she  could  serve  them. 

''  As  it  is,  madam/'  'i^om  said,  ^'  you  can,  if  you  will,  be 
of  great  service  to  us  by  procuring  for  us  fresh  disguises 
in  Madrid,  for  I  fear  that  aftei^  What  happened  with  Nunez 
our  lives  will  not  be  safe  from  his  vengeance  anywhere  in 
Spain.  Already  we  have  discovered  that  some  of  his  band 
are  accompanying  this  convoy  With  the  intention  of  killing 
VLB  at  the  first  opportunity.'* 

''Why  do  you  not  denounce  theiri  instantly  ?"  Madame 
Reynier  said,  rising  in  her  excitement  and  looking  round. 

''  We  cannot  well  do  that,"  Tom  said,  ''  at  least  not  if 
it  can  be  avoided.  They  know  already  that  we  have  rec- 
ognized them,  and  will  leave  at  the  next  village ;  so  we 
are  safe  at  present,  but  in  Madrid  we  shall  be  no  longer 
so.  We  cannot  remain  permanently  under  the  guard  of 
the  bayonets  of  the  63d  Line  ;  and  indeed  our  position  is 
as  you  may  guess,  a  false  and  unpleasant  one,  from  which 
we  would  free  ourselves  at  the  first  opportunity.  We  shall 
therefore  ask  yoUj  When  you  get  to  Madrid,  to  provide  us 
with  fresh  disguises  and  a  pass  to  travel  west  as  far  as  the 
limits  of  the  French  lines." 


THE  tOUNO  BUGLERS.  168 

*'  Yon  can  consider  that  as  done/'  Madame  Reynier  an« 
swered  ;  **  I  only  regret  that  it  is  so  slight  a  return.  And 
now/*  she  said  lightly,  to  change  the  conversation,  *'  I 
must  introduce  yoti  to  this  young  lady.  Julie/'  she  asked 
in  French,  *'  do  you  remember  those  boys  ? '' 

"  Yes,'*  Julie  said  ;  ''  these  are  the  boys  who  gave 
maminft  and  Julie  water  when  those  wicked  men  would 
not  give  us  anything  to  drink  when  we  were  thirsty  ;  and 
it  was  these  boys  that  mamma  said  prevented  the  wicked 
men  from  killing  us.  They  are  good  boys,  nice  boys,  but 
they  are  very  ragged  and  dirty/' 

Madame  Reynier  smiled,  and  translated  Julie's  answer. 

"  Yon  know,"  she  went  on,  hesitatingly,  ^'  that  I  know 
that — that  you  are  English  officers.  I  heard  you  say  so 
whien  you  saved  us.  But  how  is  it  that  you  can  be  officers 
so  very  young  ?  " 

Toni  explained  that  in  England  the  officers  entered  for 
the  Inost  part  directly,  and  not>  as  in  the  French  army,  by 
promotion  froni  the  ranks,  and  that,  consequently,  the 
junioi*  officers  were  much  younger  than  those  of  equal 
rank  in  the  French  service. 

The  convoy  had  how  reached  the  village,  and  a  halt  was 
ordered,  and  the  boys  alighting,  walked  forward  to  see 
that  their  unwelcome  attendants  quitted  them.  As  the 
soldiers  fell  out  from  their  order  of  march  and  sat  down 
under  the  shade  of  the  houses  many  of  the  Spaniards  with 
the  baggage-train  followed  their  example,  and  the  boys 
saw  the  man  to  Whoni  they  had  spoken  go  up  to  four 
others,  and  in  a  short  time  these  separated  themselves 
from  the  rest,  went  carelessly  round  a  corner,  and  when 
the  order  came  to  continue  the  march,  failed  to  make  their 
appearance.  Their  absence  passed  unnoticed  save  by  the 
boys,  for  the  natives  frequently  took  advantage  of  the 
passage  of  troops  and  convoys  to  travel  from  one  part  of 
the  country  to  another,  for  the  guerillas  were  for  the  most 
part  little  better  than  brigands^  and  would  plunder  their 


164  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

own  countrymen  without  scruple  whenever  the  opporta* 
nity  was  favorable. 

The  march  to  Madrid  was  accomplished  without  adven- 
ture, and  the  boys  improved  the  occasion  ^y  endeavoring 
to  pick  up  as  many  French  phrases  as  they  could,  as  they 
marched  along  by  the  side  of  the  sergeant  who  had  specially 
taken  them  under  his  charge.  He  knew  a  little  Spanish, 
so  they  managed  to  keep  up  a  conversation  with  him  in  a 
strange  medley  of  the  two  languages,  which  helped  to  pass 
the  time  away  merrily.  At  Madrid  they  took  up  their 
quarters  in  the  barracks  with  the  regiment  ;  they  had 
already  explained  their  plan  of  disguise  to  Madame  Rey- 
nier,  and  she  had  promised  to  provide  all  that  was  neces- 
sary and  to  obtain  the  military  pass  for  them. 

They  had  soon  reason  to  congratulate  themselves  that 
their  stay  in  Madrid  was  under  the  protection  of  French 
bayonets.  During  the  day  after  their  arrival  they  remained 
quietly  in  barracks,  as  the  appearance  of  two  Spanish 
peasants  walking  about  the  street  with  French  soldiers 
would  have  excited  comments.  In  the  evening,  however, 
they  agreed  with  their  friend  the  sergeant,  Avho  was  going 
into  the  town  with  three  or  four  of  his  comrades,  that  they 
should  accompany  them,  not,  however,  walking  actually 
with  them,  but  following  a  few  paces  behind,  so  as  to  be 
within  reach  of  their  assistance  shonld  any  one  molest 
them. 

They  reached  the  Piazza  del  Sol,  the  great  central  square 
of  Madrid,  without  incident,  and  amused  themselves  with 
fche  sight  of  the  constant  stream  of  people  passing  to  and 
fro,  the  ladies  in  their  graceful  black  mantillas,  the  men 
in  cloaks  and  Spanish  sombreros,  or  round  felt  hats. 
Presently  the  sergeant  and  his  companions  left  the  square, 
and  turning  down  one  of  the  narrow  streets  which  run 
into  it,  amused  themselves  by  looking  into  the  shops,  with 
their  gay  fans,  bright  handkerchiefs,  and  other  articles  of 
Spanish  manafactare. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLE^H.  165 

Tom  and  Peter  followed  tlieir  example,  keeping  some 
ten  paces  behind  them.  It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and  the 
streets  were  but  badly  lighted  except  by  the  lamps  in  the 
shop  windows. 

''  It  may  be  all  fancy,  Tom,"  Peter  said,  ''but  I  can't 
help  thinking  that  we  are  followed.  There  are  three  fol- 
lows who  have  passed  us  twice,  and  I  am  pretty  sure  they 
are  particularly  noticing  us.  Keep  your  hand  on  your 
pistol." 

As  the  boys  paused  at  another  shop  window,  the  three 
men  again  approached,  this  time  from  ahead. 

*'  Look  out,  Tom,"  Peter  said  sharply. 

As  the  men  came  up  to  them,  one  of  them  exclaimed, 

*'  Now ! " 

The  boys  faced  round,  pistol  in  hand,  with  a  cry  to  their 
friends,  just  as  the  three  Spaniards,  with  drawn  knives, 
were  upon  them. 

The  sudden  movement  disconcerted  them,  and  two 
sprang  back  from  the  leveled  tubes  of  the  pistols,  with 
fierce  oaths  of  surprise,  the  third,  however,  rushed  in  and 
struck  at  Tom  ;  the  latter  instinctively  moved  aside,  and 
the  knife  inflicted  a  heavy  gash  on  the  shoulder,  and  al- 
most at  the  same  moment  Peter's  bullet  crashed  through 
the  fellow's  skull. 

His  comrades,  with  a  cry  of  rage,  rushed  in,  but  before 
they  could  strike,  the  sergeant  was  upandranone  throngh 
the  body  with  his  sword,  whereon  the  other  fled.  The 
whole  affair  lasted  only  three  or  fonr  seconds.  In  less 
than  a  minute  the  street  was  absolutely  deserted,  for  rows 
and  fights  were  so  common  between  the  soldiers  and  the 
people,  that  all  prudent  people  got  out  of  the  way  the  mo- 
ment a  knife  was  drawn. 

*'  Well  done,  lad,"  the  sergeant  said  to  Peter,  ''  I  thought 
your  brother  was  done  for.  Luckily  I  had  faced  your  way 
when  the  fellow  attacked  you,  and  was  on  my  way  to  help 
you  before  they  began,  but  I  feared  I  should  be  too  late. 


166  THE  YOUNG  SUGLBR8, 

That  was  a  wonderfully  pretty  snap  shot  of  yours,  and  you 
were  as  cool  as  old  hands,  Peste  !  I  don't  know  what  to 
make  of  you  boys.  Now  come  along,  we  had  better  get 
away  from  this  carrion  before  any  one  comes  up  and  asks 
questions.     Frst,  though,  let  me  tie  up  your  shoulder.'' 

This  was  soon  done,  and  while  the  sergeant  was  engaged 
upon  it,  his  comrades,  old  soldiers,  turned  over  the  dead 
Spaniards,  searched  their  pockets,  and  chuckled  as  they 
found  several  gold  pieces. 

One  or  two  French  soldiers  alone  came  near  them  before 
they  left  the  spot,  attracted  by  the  sound  of  the  pistol.  A 
word  from  the  sergeant,  ^'  These  scoundrels  attacked  us, 
they  have  got  their  cotip/*  satisfied  them,  and  the  boys  and 
their  friend  soon  regained  the  crowded  main  street,  leav- 
ing the  bodies  for  the  watch  to  find  and  bury. 

Arrived  at  the  barracks,  Tom's  arm  was  examined  by 
the  surgeon,  and  the  cut  pronounced  a  deep  flesh  wound, 
but  of  no  consequence  ;  it  was  soon  strapped  up,  ana  with 
his  arm  in  a  sling  Tom  went  down  to  the  sergeant's  quar- 
ters, where  they  slept.  Here  they  had  to  go  through 
much  patting  on  the  back,  for  their  friend  had  described 
the  readiness  and  coolness  with  which  they  stood  at  bay, 
and  popular  as  they  were  before  they  were  now  more  so 
than  ever.  For  the  rest  of  their  stay  in  Madrid  the  boys 
did  not  stir  out  of  barracks.  One  at  least  of  Nunez's  en- 
voys they  knew  to  be  alive,  and  he  qould  enlist  any  num- 
ber of  the  lower  class  against  them,  so  they  resolved  not 
to  go  out  until  they  should  finally  start. 

After  a  fortnight's  stay  they  were  sent  for  to  the  colonel's 
quarters,  where  they  found  Madame  Reynier  and  her  child. 
*'I  had  a  letter  from  my  husband  this  morning,"  she  said, 
"  from  his  camp  near  Cordova,  thanking  you  with  all  his 
heart  for  the  inestimable  service  you  rendered  him,  and 
begging  me  to  tell  you  that  you  can  count  on  his  gratitude 
to  the  extent  of  his  life  at  any  and  all  times.  You  need 
no  assurance  of  mine.     And  now  about  your  journey.     All 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  167 

is  prepared  for  you  to  leave  to-morrow  morning.  You  are 
to  come  here  to  the  coloners  quarters  soon  after  daybreak. 
Here  are  your  two  disguises,  for  the  one  as  a  young 
bachelor  of  medicine,  for  the  other  as  a  young  novice. 
Here  is  your  jiass,  signed  by  the  minister,  authorizing  you 
both  to  pass  on  to  your  relations  at  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  and 
to  go  unmolested  thence  where  you  choose,  also  recom- 
mending you  to  the  care  of  all  French  and  Spanish 
authorities.  A  regiment  marches  to-morrow  morning  for 
the  frontier  ;  the  colonel  is  a  cousin  of  my  husband.  I 
have  told  him  that  some  friends  of  yours  rendered  me 
much  kindness  and  service  on  my  way  down,  and  that  I 
particularly  commend  you  to  his  care.  He  has  promised 
to  allow  you  to  follow  the  regiment,  and  to  see  that  you 
get  quarters  at  each  halting-place.  He  does  not  know  you 
for  anything  but  what  you  appear  to  be.  When  you  have 
put  on  these  dresses  to-morrow  morning,  step  out  by  the 
private  door  from  these  quarters,  looking  carefully  when 
you  start  to  see  that  there  is  no  one  in  the  streets  Then 
go  boldly  to  No*  15,  Rue  St*  Geronimo  ;  go  into  the  court- 
yard, there  you  will  see  two  stout  mules  with  all  neces- 
saries, under  charge  of  a  soldier,  who  will  have  instructions 
to  hand  them  over  to  you  without  asking  any  questions  ; 
then  go  down  to  the  Retiro  and  wait  till  the  16th  come 
along.  The  Colonel  will  be  on  the  look-out  for  you,  and 
you  will  ride  up  to  him  and  hand  him  this  note.  And 
now  farewell,  dear  boys  ;  never  shall  I  forget  you,  or  cease 
to  pray  for  you,  and  may  be  when  this  terrible  war  is  over 
"we  may  meet  as  friends  again.  Keep  these  little  tokens 
of  remembrance  of  your  grateful  friends."  So  saying,  Ma- 
dame Reynier  pressed  into  the  boys'  hands  two  magnifi- 
cent gold  watches  and  chains,  held  her  child  up  for  each 
of  them  to  kiss,  threw  her  arms  round  their  necks  and 
kissed  them  herself,  and  then  drawing  down  her  veil  to 
conceal  the  tears  which  were  standing  in  her  eyes,  left  them 
luiBtilj. 


168  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

That  night  the  boys  said  good-by  to  their  friend  the 
sergeant,  and  to  those  soldiers  with  whom  they  had  most 
companionship.  *'  You  have  guessed,  no  doubt,  sergeant," 
Tom  said,  in  his  mixture  of  Spanish  and  French,  ''  that 
we  are  not  exactly  what  we  seem  to  be,  but  if  we  should 
ever  meet  again,  under  different  circumstances,  I  want  you 
to  remember  that  our  connection  with  the  regiment  has 
been  in  a  way  forced  upon  us.  I  should  not  like  you  to 
think,  that  is  that  under  the  pretence  of  friendship,  we 
have  been  treacherously  learning  things.  Do  you  under- 
stand ?'' 

*'  I  understand,  mes  braves,"  the  sergeant  said,  "  Jacques 
Pinteau  is  no  fool,  and  he  saw  from  the  first  that  you  were 
not  two  ragged  Spanish  peasant  boys  by  birth.  I  daresay 
I  can  guess  what  you  are,  but  there  need  be  no  ill-will  for 
that,  and  as  you  only  came  among  us  by  accident,  as  it 
were,  there  is  no  more  to  be  said  either  way.  There  is  one 
thing  certain,  wherever  or  however  we  meet,  we  shall  be 
friends." 

So  well  were  Madame  Reynier's  plans  arranged  that  the 
boys  passed  from  Madrid  to  the  frontier  without  a  single 
hitch  or  unpleasantness.  Tom  was  soberly  attired  as  a 
student  at  the  university,  Peter  was  muffled  up  to  the  eyes 
as  a  timid  young  novice,  goi»g  from  school  to  enter  a  con- 
vent,  of  which  his  aunt  was  lady  superior,  at  Ciudad  Rod- 
rigo.  The  colonel,  and,  following  his  example,  the  officers 
of  the  regiment  were  polite  and  civil.  The  marches  were 
of  easy  length,  the  mules  stout  and  smooth-going,  with 
well-filled  traveling  sacks.  The  weather  was  delightful, 
and  the  boys  enjoyed  the  fortnight's  march  exceedingly. 
Upon  the  road  they  learned  that  Massena  had  laid  siege  to 
Ciudad  Rodrigo,  and  that  the  16th  was  on  its  way  to  join 
the  besieging  army. 

It  was  the  end  of  June,  1810,  when  the  16th  joined 
Massena's  force  before  Ciudad  Rodrigo.  The  siege  had 
continued  for  some  time,  the  British  light  division,  under 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  169 

General  Cranfnrd,  lay  u2:)on  the  other  side  of  the  river 
Agueda,  which  separated  them  alike  from  the  town  and  the 
French  army.  The  colonel  of  the  16th  politely  expressed 
to  Tom  his  regret  that  he  could  not,  for  the  present,  con- 
duct them  to  their  final  destination,  but  that  he  hoped 
that  the  gate  would  soon  be  open  for  them.  Tom  thanked 
him  for  the  civility  which  he  had  shown  them  npon  the 
road,  and  said  that  he  would,  with  his  sister,  take  up  his 
abode  for  the  present  a  few  miles  from  the  beleaguered 
fortress.  On  leaving  the  regiment  the  boys  went  higher 
tip  the  Agueda  to  the  little  town  of  Villar,  where  there 
was  a  bridge.  This  however,  was  watched  by  the  troops 
of  both  armies,  and  there  was,  at  present,  no  chance  of 
effecting  a  passage. 


i70  WE  TOUNO  BUQLBBB, 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  FIGHT  OJf  THE  COA. 

All  throngh  the  winter  of  1809-1810,  Wellington  had 
remained  quietly  on  the  frontier  of  Portugal,  engaged  in 
disciplining  his  troops,  many  of  whom  were  raw  drafts 
from  the  militia,  in  urging  upon  the  home  Government  the 
necessity  of  fresh  reinforcements,  if  the  war  was  to  be  car- 
ried on  with  the  smallest  hopes  of  success,  and  in  contro- 
versies and  disputes  with  the  Portuguese  regency.  This 
body  of  incapables  starved  their  own  army,  refused  sup- 
plies and  transport  to  the  British,  and  behaved  with  such 
arrogance  and  insolence  that  Wellington  was  several  times 
driven  to  use  the  threat  that,  unless  mea^'^ures  were  taken 
to  keep  the  Portuguese  troops  from  stairing,  and  to  sup- 
ply food  to  the  British,  he  would  put  his  army  on  board 
the  transports  at  Lisbon,  and  give  iip  the  struggle  alto- 
gether. 

Spring  found  the  army  still  on  iha  frontier,  and  when 
the  French  advanced  in  force  in  May  to  lay  siege  to  the 
Spanish  frontier  fortress  of  Ciudad  Eodrigo,  Wellington 
to  the  intense  disappointment  of  his  own  troops,  and  the 
bitter  anger  of  the  Portuguese  and  Spaniards,  refused  to 
fight  a  battle  to  save  the  fortress,  which,  under  its  gallant 
old  governor,  Andrea  Hernati,  was  defending  itself  nobly. 

Wellington's  position  was,  however,  a  very  difficult  one, 
and  his  responsibilities  were  immense.  Allowing  for  the 
detachments  which  were  maasing  to  check  three  other 
French  columns  advancing  in  different  directions,  he  had 
but  25,000  men  with  which  to  attempt  to  raise  the  siegQ 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLEE8,  IT! 

of  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  or  to  draw  off  the  besieged  garrison. 
Massena  had  under  him  60,000  French  veterans,  and  was 
desiring  nothing  more  than  that  Wellington  should  attack 
him.  The  chances  of  victory  then  were  by  no  means 
strong,  and  in  any  case  victory  could  only  have  been  pur- 
chased by  a  loss  of  men  which  would  have  completely 
crippled  the  British  general,  and  would  have  rendered  it 
absolutely  necessary  for  him  to  fall  back  again  at  once. 
A  defeat  or  even  a  heavy  loss  of  men,  would  have  so  dis- 
pirited the  faint-hearted  Government  at  home  that  they 
would  undoubtedly  have  recalled  the  whole  expedition,  and 
resigned  Portugal  to  its  fate.  Thus  Wellington  decided 
not  to  risk  the  whole  fate  of  the  British  army  and  of  Por- 
tugal for  merely  a  temporary  advantage,  and  so  stood  firm 
against  the  murmurs  of  his  own  troops,  the  furious  re- 
proaches of  the  Portuguese  and  Spaniards,  and  the  mov- 
ing entreaties  for  aid  of  the  gallant  goverdor  of  the  be- 
sieged town. 

At  the  same  time  that  he  refused  to  risk  a  general  bat- 
tle, he  kept  Crauf  urd's  division  in  advance  of  the  Coa,  and 
within  two  hours'  march  of  the  enemy,  thereby  encourag- 
ing the  garrison  of  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  and  preventing  Mas- 
sena from  pushing  forward  a  portion  of  his  army  while 
the  rest  pursued  the  siege. 

Craufurd's  front  was  guarded  by  the  Agueda>  a  river 
only  passable  by  two  or  three  bridges  and  fords  in  wet 
weather,  but  fordable  in  many  places  in  the  dry  season. 
At  the  commencement  of  June  the  Agueda  fell,  and  the 
French  crossed  in  strength  at  various  places.  Craufurd, 
however,  still  maintained  his  position  in  front  of  the  Coa 
with  great  skill  and  boldness.  He  had  under  his  com- 
mand only  4000  infantry,  1100  cavalry,  and  six  guns,  and 
his  maintenance  of  his  position,  almost  within  gun-shot  of 
an  enemy's  army,  60,000  strong,  for  three  months,  is  one 
of  the  finest  feats  of  military  audacity  and  ability  ever 
performed. 


172  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEUS, 

Until  fche  11th  of  July  the  boys  remained  quietly  at  a 
cottage  occupied  by  peasants,  who  believed  their  story  that 
they  were  only  waiting  to  proceed  when  the  French  army 
advanced.  They  were  freed  from  molestation  or  inquiry 
upon  the  part  of  the  French  by  the  pass  with  which  Ma- 
dame Reynier  had  supplied  them. 

Upon  that  day  Ciudad  Rodrigo  surrendered,  and  Mas- 
sena  prepared  at  once  to  enter  Portugal.  Upon  the  21st 
the  cavalry  advanced  in  great  force,  and  upon  the  follow- 
ing day  the  boys  resolved  upon  endeavoring  to  rejoin  the 
British  army.  The  Agueda  was  now  easily  fordable  in 
many  places,  but  the  boys  determined  to  swim  across,  at  a 
distance  from  the  point  at  which  the  French  army  was 
now  pouring  forward. 

As  evening  came  on  they  left  the  cottage,  and  walked 
two  miles  up  the  stream,  and,  as  soon  as  night  fell,  took 
ofl'  the  costumes  which  had  proved  of  such  service  to  them 
and  left  them  on  the  bank  ;  then  fastening  their  peasants' 
suits  upon  two  bundles  of  rushes  to  keep  them  dry,  en- 
tered the  little  river,  and  were  soon  upon  the  opposite 
shore.  They  knew,  from  what  they  had  heard  in  the 
afternoon,  that  Craufurd  had  fallen  back  upon  Almeida,  a 
fortified  town,  and  that  it  was  probable  he  would  at  once 
cross  the  Coa,  as  resistance  to  the  force  now  approaching 
him  seemed  nothing  short  of  madness. 

No  goo4,  indeed,  could  be  gained  by  a  fight  in  such  a 
position,  with  a  deep  river  in  the  rear,  crossed  by  only  a 
narrow  bridge,  and  commanded  by  both  banks,  and  AVel- 
lington^'s  orders  had  been  imperative  "  that,  upon  no  ac- 
count whatever  was  Craufurd  to  fight  beyond  the  Coa." 

Craufurd,  however,  a  rash  and  obstinate,  although  a 
skilful  general,  was  determined  upon  having  a  brush  with 
the  enemy  before  he  fell  back.  He  anticipated,  no  doubt, 
that  only  an  advanced  guard  of  the  enemy  would  come  up 
at  first,  and  his  intention  was  to  inflict  a  severe  check 
upon  them  with  the  magnificent  little  division  under  his 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  173 

command,  and  then  fall  back  triumphantly  across  the 
Coa.  Massena,  however,  was  well  aware  of  the  fighting 
powers  of  the  light  division,  and  was  preparing  to  hnrl 
suddenly  upon  him  a  force  more  than  sufficient  to  crush 

it. 

The  Scudamores  had  but  little  fear  of  meeting  with  any 
large  body  of  the  enemy,  as  the  main  French  advance  was 
direct  from  Ciudad  Rodrigo  ;  their  cavalry  would,  however, 
be  scattered  all  over  the  country,  and  were  they  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  any  of  these  parties  they  would  have  been 
shot  instantly,  upon  suspicion  of  endeavoring  to  convey 
news  of  the  French  movements  to  Craufurd. 

The  point  where  they  crossed  the  river  was  between 
Villar  and  Naves  Frias,  and,  after  an  hour's  walking,  they 
struck  the  little  rivulet  called  Duas  Casas.  This  they 
crossed  at  once,  as  they  knew  that  by  following  its  southern 
bank  until^they  saw  some  high  ground  to  their  left  they 
would  find  themselves  near  Almeida,  which  they  hoped  to 
reach  before  the  English  retreated. 

All  night  they  tramped  through  the  fields  of  stubble, 
where  the  corn  had  been  long  since  cut  for  the  use  of 
Craufurd's  cavalry,  but  walking  at  night  through  an  un- 
known country  is  slow  work,  and  when  day  began  to  break 
they  entered  a  small  wood  just  beyond  the  point  where  the 
Turones,  as  the  southern  arm  of  the  Duas  Casas  is  called, 
branches  off  from  the  main  stream.  Several  times  in  the 
course  of  the  day  bodies  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  came  near 
their  place  of  concealment,  and  the  Scudamores  congratu- 
lated themselves  that  they  had  not  given  way  to  their  im- 
patience, and  tried  to  push  on  across  the  twenty  miles  that 
alone  separated  them  from  their  friends. 

At  nightfall  the  wind  rose,  and  a  heavy  rain  began  to 
fall.  They  had  no  stars  by  which  to  steer  their  course, 
and  were,  therefore,  forced  to  follow  the  bank  of  the 
Turones,  although  they  knew  that  it  would  lead  them 
some  distance  to  the  north  of  Almeida.     It  was  slow  work. 


174  TET!  TOVNG  BUGLERS, 

indeed,  for  they  had  to  grope  their  way  along  in  the  storm, 
following  every  turn  and  bend  of  the  river,  which  formed 
their  only  gaide.  After  several  hours'  toil  they  came  into 
a  road  running  north  and  south.  This  they  knew  was  the 
road  leading  from  Guarda  to  Almeida,  and  it  gave  them 
a  clue  as  to  the  distance  they  had  come.  Still  following 
the  river,  they  continued  their  course  until  they  ap- 
proached San  Pedro,  whence  they  knew  that  a  road  ran 
directly  to  the  British  position  in  front  of  Almeida,  that 
is  if  the  British  still  maintained  their  position  there. 

As  they  approached  the  village,  they  heard  a  deep,  hol- 
low sound,  and  stopping  to  listen,  and  laying  their  ears  to 
the  ground,  could  distinguish  the  rumble  of  heavy  car- 
riages. 

**The  French  are  advancing  in  force,  Peter;  we  are 
just  in  time  ;  they  are  going  to  attack  us  in  the  morning 
at  daybreak.  We  know  the  direction  now  ;  let  us  turn  to 
the  left,  and  try  to  get  on  in  advance  of  them.  They  prob- 
ably will  not  push  on  much  farther  until  there  is  light 
enough  to  permit  them  to  form  order  of  battle  ;  they  are 
evidently,  by  the  sound,  going  to  the  left,  rather  than 
straight  on.'* 

The  Scudamoresnow  hurried  on,  and  presently  the  rum- 
bling of  the  artillery  died  away,  and  they  ventured  to  push 
to  their  left,  and  to  get  on  the  road,  which  they  found 
deserted.  Half  an  hour's  run,  for  they  knew  that  every 
minute  was  of  importance,  and  they  heard  the  welcome 
challenge,  '' Who  comes  there  ?"  '*  Two  British  officers," 
they  answered,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were  taken  to  the 
officer  in  charge  of  the  picket,  and  having  once  convinced 
him  of  their  identity,  were  heartily  greeted  and  wel- 
comed. 

''  The  French  are  advancing  in  great  force  to  attack, '* 
Tom  said  ;  '^  please  forward  us  instantly  to  the  general." 

The  matter  was  too  important  for  an  instant's  delay, 
and  a  sergeant  was  at  once  told  off  to  accompany  them. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  175 

The  first  faint  Llush  of  daylight  was  in  the  east  when 
they  arrived  at  the  cottage  which  served  as  General  Crau- 
furd's  quarters,  and,  upon  their  speaking  to  the  sentinel 
at  the  door,  a  window  was  thrown  open,  and  a  deep  voice 
demanded  ''What  is  it  ?" 

''We  have  just  arrived  through  the  French  lines,"  Tom 
said,  "  the  enemy  are  at  hand  in  force." 

The  casement  closed,  and  an  instant  afterwards  the 
general  came  out.     "  Who  are  you  ?" 

"  We  belong  to  the  Norfolk  Eangers,  general,  and  have 
been  detached  on  service  in  the  interior ;  we  have  only  just 
made  our  way  back." 

"  How  am  I  to  know  your  story  is  true  ?  "  the  general 
asked  sharply. 

"  You  may,  perhaps,  remember,  sir,  we  landed  from  the 
'Latona,'and  you  kindly  lent  us  horses  to  accompany 
you." 

"Aha!  I  remember,"  the  general  said.  "Well,  your 
news  ?  " 

"  The  French  have  crossed  the  Turones  in  force,  sir  ;  at 
least  they  have  a  good  many  guns  with  them." 
"  Which  way  were  they  going  ?" 

"As  far  as  we  could  judge  by  the  sound,  sir,  they  were 
taking  up  a  position  between  Villa  Formosa  and  Fort  Con- 
ception." 

"  Good,"  the  general  said  shortly  ;  then  turning  to  three 
or  four  of  his  staff  who  had  followed  him  from  the  cot- 
tage, "  Get  the  troops  under  arms  at  once.  Come  in  here, 
gentlemen." 

The  Scudamcves  entered,  and  as  they  came  into  the 
light  of  a  candle  which  stood  on  the  table  the  general 
smiled  grimly. 

"It  is  lucky  you  were  able  to  recall  yourselves  to  my 
memory,  for  I  should  have  needed  some  strong  evidence 
to  persuade  me  you  were  British  officers  had  I  ?een  you 
before  you   spoke.     You  are  wet  to  the  skin ;  there  is  a 


.176  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

brandy  bottle,  and  you  will  find  some  bread  and  cold  fowl 
in  that  cupboard." 

Five  minutes  later  the  boys  followed  General  Craufurd 
from  his  hut. 

Short  as  was  the  time  which  had  elapsed  since  their  ar- 
rival, the  troops  were  already  under  arms,  for  three  months 
of  incessant  alarm  and  watchfulness  had  enabled  this 
splendid  division  to  act  as  one  man,  and  to  fall  in  at  any 
hour  of  the  day  or  night  in  an  incredibly  short  time.  Ten 
minutes  later  and  the  rumble  of  the  baggage  wagons  was 
heard  along  the  road  towards  the  bridge.  The  morning 
was  clearing  fast,  the  clouds  lifted,  and  the  daylight  seemed 
to  break  with  unusual  suddenness. 

The  dark  masses  of  the  French  became  visible  forming 
up  before  the  Turones,  and  Craufurd  hurried  forward  his 
cavalry  and  guns  to  check  their  advance. 

"  Hurry  the  infantry  up,  hurry  them  up,"  the  general 
said  urgently  to  the  officers  by  him.  '^  Let  them  take  post 
along  the  ridge,  and  then  fall  back  fighting  towards  the 
bridge.  Major  MacLeod,"  he  said  to  an  officer  of  the 
43d,  ''  take  these  gentlemen  with  you  ;  they  are  officers 
of  the  Norfolk  Rangers.  They  will  join  your  regiment  for 
the  present.  When  your  regiment  falls  back,  occupy  that 
stone  inclosure  a  little  way  down  the  slope  at  the  left  of 
the  road,  and  hold  the  enemy  in  check  while  the  troops  file 
over  the  bridge." 

The  officer  addressed  looked  with  surprise  at  the  boys, 
and  signing  to  them  to  follow,  hurried  off  to  his  regiment, 
which  was  on  the  left  of  the  British  line. 

Next  to  them  came  a  regiment  of  Portuguese  riflemtn 
with  a  wing  of  the  95th  upon  either  flank,  while  the  i2d 
formed  the  right  of  the  line. 

Upon  reaching  the  regiment.  Major  MacLeod  briefly 
introduced  the  boys  to  the  colonel,  who  said,  ^'As  you 
have  no  arms,  gentlemea,  I  think  you  had  bett«r  mak«  fop 
the  bridge  at  onee." 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  17t 

''Thank  yon,  sir,'^  Tom  replied,  ''there  will  be  some 
muskets  disposable  before  long,  and  directly  they  are  so 
■we  will  take  our  place  in  the  ranks.'' 

They  had  now  leisure  to  look  round  and  examine  their 
position,  and  a  glance  was  sufficient  to  show  how  great  was 
the  peril  in  which  General  Craufurd's  obstinacy  had  placed 
his  little  force.  In  front  of  them  were  24,000  French 
infantry,  5000  cavalry,  and  30  pieces  of  artillery.  An 
overwhelming  force  indeed,  and  one  which  could  scarcely 
have  been  withstood  by  the  4000  British  infantry,  even 
•under  the  most  favorable  conditions  of  position.  The 
position,  however,  was  here  wholly  against  the  British. 
They  stood  at  the  edge  of  a  plateau,  and  behind  them,  the 
ground  fell  away  in  a  steep  hillside  to  the  Coa,  a  mile 
distant,  and  across  the  Coa  there  was  but  a  single  bridga 

The  enemy  was  approaching  fast.  Ney's  great  brigade 
of  cavalry  swept  the  British  horse  before  them,  and  the 
infantry  wero  following  at  a  run. 

Resistance  on  the  edge  of  the  plateau  was  hopeless,  and 
Crauf urd  ordered  the  infantry  to  fall  back  at  once.  The 
43d  filed  into  the  inclosure,  rapidly  cut  loopholes  in  the 
"wall,  and  as  the  enemy  appeared  on  the  crest  above  opened 
a  tremendous  fire,  under  cover  of  which  the  cavalry  and 
artillery  trotted  briskly  and  in  good  order  down  the  road 
to  the  bridge. 

The  Scudamores,  having  no  duty,  stood  at  the  entrance 
to  the  inclosure  and  watched  the  fight  on  their  right.  Ag 
the  masses  of  French  infantry  appeared  on  the  edge  of  the 
plateau  they  made  no  pause,  but  opening  a  heavy  fire 
pressed  forward  on  the  retiring  British  troops,  who  were 
falling  back  in  open  order,  contesting  every  inch  of  ground. 
So  rapidly  and  hotly,  however,  did  the  French  press 
after  them  that  the  British  were  soon  pushed  back  beyond 
the  line  of  the  inclosure,  and  as  the  French  followed 
closely,  it  was  evident  that  the  43d  would  be  cut  off  and 
surrounded. 


178  TH^  TOUNCr  BUGLERS. 

Their  colonel  saw  their  danger,  and  called  upon  them 
to  fall  in  and  retreat,  but  the  entrance  was  so  narrow  that 
it  was  clear  at  a  glance  that  ere  one  company  could  pass 
through  it  the  French  would  be  upon  them,  and  the  regi- 
ment caught  like  rats  in  a  trap. 

Officers  and  men  alike  saw  the  danger,  and  there  was  a. 
pause  of  consternation. 

Peter  was  standing  next  to  the  colonel,  and  said  sud-^ 
denly  as  the  idea  flashed  across  him,  ''  The  wall  is  not  very 
strong,  sir,  if  the  men  mass  against  it  and  push  together 
I  think  it  will  go." 

The  colonel  caught  at  the  idea.  *'  Now,  lads,  steady, 
form  against  the  rear  wail  four  deep,  close  together, 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  as  close  as  you  can  pack  ;  now  get 
ready,  one,  two,  three  ! "  and  at  the  word  the  heavy  mass 
of  men  swung  themselves  against  the  wall ;  it  swayed  with 
the  shock,  and  many  stones  were  displaced  ;  another  effort 
and  the  wall  tottered  and  fell,  and  with  a  glad  shout  the 
43d  burst  out,  and  trotting  on  at  the  double  soon  joined 
the  rifles  and  95th. 

The  ground  was  rough  and  broken  with  rocks,  vineyards 
and  inclosures,  and  the  troops,  flghting  with  admirable 
coolness  and  judgment,  took  advantage  of  every  obstacle 
and  fell  back  calmly  and  in  good  order  before  the  over- 
whelming force  opposed  to  them. 

Fortunately  the  jealousies  of  the  French  generals,  which 
throughout  the  campaign  contributed  in  no  slight  degree 
to  the  success  of  the  British,  was  now  the  cause  of  their 
safety,  for  Montbrun,  who  commanded  the  French  heavy 
cavalry,  refused  to  obey  Ney's  order  to  charge  straight 
down  to  the  bridge,  in  which  case  the  whole  English  in- 
fantry would  have  been  cut  off  ;  the  French  hussars,  how- 
ever, being  on  the  British  rear,  charged  among  them  when- 
ever the  ground  permitted  them  to  do  so. 

Upon  the  British  right  the  groand  was  more  open  than 
upon  the  left,  and  the  52d  was  therefore  obliged  to  fall 


THE  YOUNG  BU0LER8.  17§ 

back  more  qnickly  than  the  rest  of  the  line,  and  were  the 
first  to  arrive  at  the  bridge  head,  which  was  still  choked 
with  artillery  and  cavalry.  This  was  the  most  dangerous 
moment,  the  rest  of  the  infantry  could  not  retreat  until 
the  bridge  was  clear,  and  the  French  with  exulting  shouts 
pressed  hard  upon  them  to  drive  them  back  upon  the 
river. 

Major  MacLeod,  seeing  the  urgent  danger,  rallied  four 
companies  of  his  regiment  upon  the  little  hill  on  the' right 
of  the  road,  while  Major  Rowan  collected  two  companies 
on  another  to  the  left.  Here  they  were  joined  by  many 
of  the  riflemen,  and  for  a  while  the  French  advance  was 
checked. 

The  Scudamores  had  remained  throughout  close  to 
Major  MacLeod,  and  had  long  since  armed  themselves 
with  the  muskets  and  pouches  of  fallen  men,  and  with 
43d  shakoes  on  their  heads,  were  fighting  among  the  ranks. 

The  cloud  of  French  skirmishers  pressed  hotly  forward, 
and  MacLeod,  seeing  that  the  bridge  was  still  blocked,  re- 
solved suddenly  upon  a  desperate  measure.  Taking  off 
his  cap,  he  pointed  to  the  enemy,  and  calling  upon  his 
men  to  follow  him,  rode  boldly  at  them.  Peter  Scuda- 
more  caught  up  a  bugle  which  had  fallen  from  a  dead 
bugler  by  his  side,  blew  the  charge,  and  the  soldiers,  cheer- 
ing loudly,  followed  MacLeod  against  the  enemy. 

Astounded  at  this  sudden  and  unexpected  attack,  the 
French  skirmishers  paused,  and  then  fell  back  before  the 
furious  charge  of  the  43d,  who  pressed  after  them  with 
loud  and  continuous  cheering.  Looking  back,  MacLeod 
saw  that  the  bridge  was  now  clear,  and  recalled  the  troops, 
who  fell  back  rapidly  again  before  the  French  infantry  had 
recovered  sufficiently  from  their  surprise  to  press  them. 

The  hussars  were,  however,  again  forward,  and  were  gal- 
loping down  the  road,  which  was  here  sunken  between 
somewhat  high  banks.  Tom  and  Peter  were  with  the  last 
company,  which  turned  and  prepared  to  receive  them. 


180  THE  YOUNG  BTTGLEltS, 

when  Tom,  pointing  to  a  coil  of  rope  upon  a  cart  which 
had  broken  down,  shouted,  *'  Quick,  tie  it  to  these  posts 
across  the  road/'  Two  or  three  men  sprang  to  assist  him, 
and  in  a  minute  the  rope  was  stretched  across  the  road  at 
a  foot  from  the  ground,  and  fastened  round  a  stone  post 
on  either  side.  They  had  scarcely  seized  their  muskets  and 
leapt  on  the  bank  again,  when  the  French  cavalry  came 
thundering  down  the  road.  "Fire,  a  few  of  you,"  Tom 
said,  '^  so  as  to  call  their  attention  up  here,"  and  in  accor- 
dance with  his  order  a  dropping  fire  was  opened.  The 
French  came  along  at  a  gallop  ;  a  few  of  the  leading  horses 
saw  the  rope  and  leapt  it,  but  those  behind  caught  it  and 
fell,  the  mass  behind  pressed  on,  and  in  an  instant  the 
lane  was  choked  with  a  confused  mass  of  men  and  horses. 
*'Now  a  volley,''  Tom  cried,  ''^and  then  to  the  bridge." 

Every  musket  was  emptied  into  the  struggling  mass,  and 
then  with  a  cheer,  the  men  ran  briskly  down  to  the  bridge, 
and  crossed — the  last  of  the  British  troops  over  the  Coa. 

The  rest  of  the  infantry  and  artillery  had  already  taken 
ground  on  the  heights  behind  the  river,  and  these  opened 
fire  upon  the  French  as  they  approached  the  head  of  the 
bridge  in  pursuit.  The  British  .were  now,  ho^/ever,  safe 
in  the  position  which  they  ought  to  have  taken  up  before 
the  advance  of  the  French,  and  had  General  Craufurd 
obeyed  his  orders  not  to  fight  beyond  the  Coa,  the  lives  of 
306  of  his  gallant  troops,  including  the  officers,  would 
have  been  saved. 

The  battle,  however,  was  not  yet  over.  The  artillery 
on  both  sides  played  across  the  ravine,  the  French  skir- 
mishers swarmed  down  to  the  river  bank,  and  between  them 
and  the  British  infantry  a  rapid  fire  was  exchanged,  while 
a  heavy  column  marched  down  to  the  bridge.  With  a 
deep-sounding  cheer  they  advanced  upon  it,  while  with 
answering  cheers  the  British  opened  fire  upon  them.  The 
depth  of  the  ravine  at  first  deceived  the  British  marka- 
men,  and  the  column  pressed  on  until  its  head  was  three* 


fBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  181 

quarters  across  the  bridge.  Then  the  shower  smote  it,  and 
beneath  that  terrible  fire  the  head  of  the  column  melted 
away.  Still  it  pressed  on  until  across  the  bridge  the  corpses 
lay  piled  in  a  mass  as  high  as  the  parapet,  and  beyond  this 
heap,  thi^  terrible  line,  there  was  no  living.  Then  sul- 
lenly and  slowly  the  French  fell  back,  while  the  British 
cheers  rose  exultingly  along  the  hillside. 

Twice  again  did  fresh  columns  pour  on  to  the  bridge, 
but  only  to  melt  away  under  the  British  fire,  neither  of 
them  reaching  the  dreadful  line  which  marked  the  point 
reached  by  the  head  of  the  first.  The  artillery  and  mus- 
ketry fire  on  both  sides  continued  until  four  in  the  after- 
noon, when  a  heavy  rain  set  in,  aiad  the  fire  ceased  alto- 
gether. 

As  the  Coa  was  f ordable  at  several  points  lower  down, 
and  the  French  could  therefore  have  turned  the  position 
next  day,  the  British  troops  fell  back  during  the  night 
behind  the  Pinhel  river,  where  Picton^s  division  was  also 
encamped. 

Next  morning  the  boys  exchanged  their  Spanish  suits 
for  the  uniform  of  British  officers,  which  they  obtained 
from  the  effects  of  some  of  those  who  had  fallen  upon  the 
previous  day,  these  being,  as  is  usual  in  a  campaign,  at 
once  sold  by  auction,  the  amount  realized  being  received 
by  the  paymaster  for  the  benefit  of  the  dead  men's  relatives. 
Major  MacLeod  had  witnessed  their  ready  presence  of  mind 
in  throwing  the  rope  across  the  road,  and  so  checking  the 
French  charge,  and  giving  time  to  the  rear-guard  to  cross 
the  bridge,  and  had  made  a  very  favorable  report  upon  the 
subject. 

Two  days  later  and  they  joined  the  Rangers,  who  were 
stationed  at  Guarda,  and  were  received  with  the  greatest 
heartiness  by  their  brother  officers,  with  warm  but  respect- 
ful greetings  by  the  men,  and  with  uproarious  demonstra- 
tions of  gladness  on  the  part  of  Sambo. 

*'  The  betting  was  two  to  one  that  you  had  gone  down, 


182  THE  YOUNO  BVGLEU8. 

boys/'  Captain  Manley  said,  after  the  first  greetings  ;  '*  bnt 
Carruthers  and  myself  have  taken  up  all  offers,  and  win  I 
don't  know  how  many  ^iinners  and  bottles  of  wine.  I  had 
the  strongest  faith  you  would  get  through  somehow.  You 
will  take  up  your  quarters  with  me.  I  have  two  bedrooms 
upstairs  there,  which  Sam  has  taken  possession  of  in  your 
name.  He  would  have  it  that  you  were  sure  to  be  back 
in  time  for  the  first  fight.  Dinner  will  be  ready  at  six, 
and  after  that  there  will  be  a  general  gathering  round  the 
fire  in  the  open  to  hear  your  adventures.  No  doubt  you 
would  be  dining  with  the  colonel,  but  I  know  he  is  en- 
gaged to  the  general." 

*^  Yes,  he  told  us  so,"  Tom  said,  ''  and  we  are  to  dine 
with  him  to-morrow." 

*^  All  right,  then  ;  we'll  make  a  night  of  it.  Carruthers 
is  coming  to  dine,  and  Burke  and  Lethbridge  ;  but  the 
room  won't  hold  more  than  six.  We  are  going  to  have  a 
feast,  for  Sam  has  got  hold  of  a  sucking-pig  ;  where  he 
got  it  from  I  dare  not  inquire,  and  Lethbridge  said  his 
fellow  had,  somehow  or  other,  found  a  turkey  ;  as  to  wine, 
we  shall  have  it  of  the  best,  for  Burke  is  quartered  at  the 
monastery,  and  the  monks  are  so  delighted  at  finding  him 
a  good  Catholic  that  they  have  given  him  the  run  of  their 
cellar." 

It  was  a  jovial  dinner,  and  no  words  can  express  the 
satisfaction  and  delight  which  beamed  on  Sam's  face  as  he 
stood  behind  his  master,  or  the  grin  of  pride  with  which 
he  placed  the  sucking-pig  on  the  table. 

'•Sam,  Sam!"  Captain  Manley  said  reprovingly,  "I 
fear  that  pig  is  not  honestly  come  by,  and  that  one  of  these 
days  we  shall  hear  that  you  have  come  to  a  bad  end." 

*'No,  no,  Massa  Captain  Manley,  sar,"  Sam  said,  ""d^at 
pig  come  quite  honest,  dat  pig  made  present  to  Sam." 

*'  A  likely  story  that,  Sam.  Come,  out  with  it.  I  have 
no  doubt  it  was  quite  as  honest  as  Lethbridge's  turkey  any- 
how.    Come,  tell  us  how  it  was." 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  183 

Thus  invoked,  Sam^s  face  assumed  the  pompous  air  with 
which  he  always  related  a  story,  and  he  began, — 

'*  Well,  ear,  de  affair  happened  in  dis  way.  When  de 
Xnassas  arribe,  two  o'clock,  and  went  in  for  long  talk  wid  de 
colonel,  dis  chile  said  to  himself,  '  Now  what  am  I  going  to 
get  them  for  dinner  ? '  De  rations  sarve  out  dis  morning 
war  all  skin  and  bone,  and  war  pretty  nigh  finished  at 
lunch.  Sam  say  to  himself,  *  Captain  Manley's  sure  to  say, 
*  You  dine  wid  me  ; '  but  as  Captain  Manley  hadn't  got 
no  food  himself,  de  invitation  vras  berry  kind,  berry  kind  in- 
deed ;  but  massa  wasn't  likely  to  get  fat  on  dat  invitation." 

Sam's  narrative  was  interrupted  by  a  perfect  shout  of 
laughter  upon  the  part  of  all  at  table,  Captain  Manley  join- 
ing heartily  in  the  laugh  against  himself.  When  they  had 
a  little  recovered  again,  Sam  went  on  as  gravely  as  ever. 
"  Dis  struck  Sam  berry  serious,  not  to  have  nothing  for 
dinner  after  being  away  seben  months  ;  presently  idea  occur 
to  dis  chile,  and  he  stroll  permiscuous  up  to  big  farm-house 
on  hill.  When  Sam  got  near  house,  kept  out  of  sight  of 
window ;  at  last  got  quite  close,  took  off  shako,  and  put 
head  suddenly  in  at  window.  Sure  enough,  just  what  Sam 
expected,  dere  sat  missus  of  farm,  fat  ole  woman,  wid  fat 
ole  servant  opposite  her.  De  door  was  open,  and  dis  little 
pig  and  several  of  his  broders  and  sisters  was  a  frisking  in 
and  out.  De  old  women  look  up  bofe  togeder,  and  dey  give 
a  awful  shriek  when  dey  saw  dis  chile's  head  ;  dey  fought 
it  were  de  debil,  sure  enough.  Dey  drop  down  on  dere 
knees,  and  begin  to  pray  as  fast  as  maybe.  Den  I  give  a 
loud  *  Yah  !  yah  ! '  and  dey  screams  out  fresh.  '  Oh  !  good 
massa  debil ! '  says  the  ole  woman,  ^  what  you  want  ?  I  been 
berry,  berry  bad,  but  don't  take  me  away.'  You  see,  Massa 
Tom,  I  pick  up  little  Spanish,  'nuff  to  understand  since 
you  been  gone.  I  not  say  nuffin,  and  de  ole  woman  den  go 
on,  '  If  you  want  one  soul  Massa  Debil,  take  dis  here,'  point- 
ing to  her  serbant ;  '  she  been  much  more  wicked  nor  me.' 
Den  de  serbant  she  set  ud  awful  shriek,  and  I  savs*  ^Dis 


184  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

time  I  hab  pity  on  you,  next  time  I  come,  if  yon  not  good 
I  carry  you  bofe  away.  Bui  must  take  soul  away  to  big 
debil  ^eko  he  neber  forgibe  me.  Dere,  I  will  carry  ojff  soul 
of  little  pig.  Gib  it  me.'  De  serbant  she  gives  cry  ob  joy, 
jump  up,  seize  little  pig,  and  berry  much  afraid,  briiig 
him  to  window.  Before  I  take  him  I  say  to  old  missus, 
*  Dis  a  free  gibt  on  your  part  ? '  and  she  say,  '  Oh,  yes,  oh, 
yes,,  good  Massa  Debil,  you  can  take  dem  all  if  you  like.' 
Isay,  '  No  ;  only  one — and  now  me  gib  you  bit  advice.  My 
Massa  down  below  hear  you  very  bad  ole  women,  never  gib 
noting  to  de  poor,  berry  hard,  berry  hard.  Me  advise  you 
change  your  conduct,  or,  as  sure  as  eggs  is  eggs,  he  send 
me  up  again  for  you  no  time.'  Den  I  gave  two  great 
'  Yah !  yah's  ! '  again  berry  loud,  and  showed  de  white  ob 
my  eyes,  and  dey  went  down  on  to  knees  again,  and  I  go 
quietly  round  corner  ob  house,  and  walk  home  wid  de  pig 
which  was  giben  to  me.  Noting  like  stealing  about  dat, 
Massa  Manley,  sar  ! '' 

Sam's  story  was  received  with  roars  of  laughter,  and  when 
they  had  recovered  themselves  a  little.  Captain  Manley  said, 
**  It  is  lucky  we  march  to-morrow,  Sam,  for  if  the  good 
woman  were  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  you  in  uniform,  and  were 
to  find  she  had  been  tricked,  she  might  lay  a  complaint 
against  you,  and  although,  as  you  say,  the  pig  was  freely 
given  to  you,  I  imagine  the  Provost  Marshal  might  consider 
that  it  was  obtained  under  false  pretences.  But  here  are 
the  other  men  outside,  we  had  better  adjourn,  for  every  one 
is  longing  to  hear  your  adventures. '' 

It  was  a  lovely  evening,  and  as  the  officers  of  the  Norfolk 
Rangers  sat  or  lay  round  the  fire,  which  was  lit  for  light 
and  cheerfulness  rather  than  warmth,  the  boys,  after  their 
long  wanderings  among  strangers,  felt  how  pleasant  and 
bright  life  was  among  friends  and  comrades.  They  had 
first  to  relate  their  adventures  with  the  guerillas,  after  which 
it  was  agreed  that  they  had  earned  the  right  to  be  silent  iot 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  185 

the  rest  of  the  evening,  and  song,  and  jest,  and  merry  story 
went  round  the  ring. 

Sar^  was  installed  under  the  direction  of  the  doctor,  a 
jovial  Irishman,  as  concocter  of  punch,  and  his  office  was 
by  no  means  a  sinecure. 

"  Now,  major,  give  us  the  song  of  the  regiment,^*  Captain 
Manley  said,  and,  as  he  spoke,  there  was  a  general  cry 
round  the  circle  of  '^  The  Rangers,  the  Rangers."  *'  I'm 
agreeable, ''  the  major  said.  *^  Give  me  another  tumbler  of 
punch  to  get  my  pipes  in  order.  Make  it  a  little  sweeter 
than  the  last  brew,  Sam  ;  yes,  that's  better.  Well,  here 
goes — full  chorus,  and  no  shirking.'' 

The  Rangers. 

**  Hurrah  for  the  Rangers,  hurrah  !  hurrah  I 

Here's  to  the  corps  that  we  love  so  well ; 
Ever  the  first  in  the  deadly  fray, 

Steady  and  firm  amid  shot  and  shell. 
Scattered  as  skirmishers  out  in  the  front, 

Contesting  each  foot  of  the  ground  we  hold. 
Nor  yielding  a  step  though  we  bear  the  brunt 

Of  the  first  attack  of  the  foeman  bold. 

Hurrah  for  the  Rangers,  hurrah  !  hurrahS 
Here's  to  the  corps  that  we  love  so  well ; 
Ever  the  first  in  the  deadly  fray, 
Steady  and  firm  amid  shot  and  shell. 

••  Steady  boys,  steady,  the  foe  falls  back. 
Sullenly  back  to  the  beat  of  the  drum, 
Hark  to  the  thunder  that  nears  our  flank 

Rally  in  square,  boys,  their  cavalry  come. 
Squadron  on  squadron,  wave  upon  wave. 

Dashing  along  with  an  ocean's  force. 
But  they  break  into  spray  on  our  bayonets'  points. 
And  we  mock  at  the  fury  of  rider  and  horse. 
Hurrah  for  the  Rangers,  &c. 

**The  gunner  may  boast  of  the  death  he  deals 
As  he  shatters  the  foe  with  his  iron  hail. 
And  may  laugh  with  pride  as  he  checks  the  charge^ 
Or  sees  the  dark  column  falter  and  quail. 


186  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEB8. 

But  the  gunner  fights  with  the  foe  afar, 
In  the  rear  of  the  line  is  the  battery's  plaCQ, 

The  Ranger  fights  with  a  sterner  joy 
For  he  strives  with  his  foemen  face  to  facet 
Hurrah  for  the  Rangers,  &c. 

**  The  cavalry  man  is  dashing  and  gay, 
His  steed  is  fast,  and  his  blade  is  fine, 
He  blithely  rides  to  the  fiercest  fray, 

And  cuts  his  way  through  the  foeman's  line. 
But  the  wild,  fierce  joys  of  the  deadly  breach. 

Or  the  patient  pluck  of  the  serried  square 
Are  far  away  from  the  horseman's  reach. 
While  the  Norfolk  Rangers  are  sure  to  be  there. 
Hurrah  for  the  Rangers,  &c." 

Long,  loud,  and  hearty  was  the  cheering  as  the  last  chorus 
concluded.  '^  Very  good  song,  very  well  sung,  jolly  com- 
panions every  one,''  shouted  the  doctor.  ''  Now,  Manley, 
keep  the  ball  rolling,  give  us  the  '  The  Bivouac,' "  Captain 
Manley  emptied  his  glass,  and,  without  hesitation,  began — 

The  Bivouac. 

**  The  weary  march  is  over,  boys,  the  camp  fire's  burning  bnight, 
So  gather  round  the  blazing  logs,  we'll  keep  high  feast  to-night. 
For  every  heart  is  full  of  joy,  and  every  cheek  aglow, 
That  after  months  of  waiting,  at  last  we  meet  the  foe. 
To-morrow's  sun  will  see  the  fight,  and  ere  that  sun  goes 

down, 
Our  glorious  flag  another  wreath  of  victory  shall  crown. 

Hurrah,  hurrah  for  the  bivouac, 
With  comrades  tried  and  true. 
With  faces  bright,  and  spirits  light, 
And  the  foemen's  fires  in  view. 

••Then  fill  your  cups  with  Spanish  wine,  and  let  the  toast  go 

round. 
Here's  a  health  to  all  who  love  us  on  dear  old  England's 

ground. 
Be  their  tresses  gold  or  auburn,  or  black  as  ebon's  hue. 
Be  their  eyes  of  witching  hazel,  loving  gray,  qv  heaveu'3  blue, 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  187 

Here's  to  them  all,  the  girls  we  love,  God  bless  them  every 

one  ; 
May  we  all  be  here  to  toast  them  when  to-morrow's  work  is 

done. 

Hurrah,  hurrah,  &c. 

^*But  whate^'er  to-morrow  bring  us,  it  shall  shed  no  gloom  to- 
night. 

For  a  British  soldier  does  not  flinch  from  thought  of  death  in 
fight; 

No  better  ending  could  we  wish,  no  worthier  do  we  know, 

Than  to  fall  for  King  and  country,  with  our  face  towards  the 
foe; 

And  if  we  go,  our  friends  who  stay  will  keep  our  memory 
bright, 

And  will  drink  to  us  in  silence  by  many  a  camp-fire's  light. 

Hurrah,  hurrah,  &c." 

When  the  last  chorus  had  ceased,  the  boys,  who  had  had 
a  long  march  that  morning,  and  were  thoroughly  tired, 
stole  quietly  off  to  bed,  but  it  was  not  till  long  after  they 
had  gone  to  sleep  that  the  jovial  party  round  the  fire  broke 
up,  and  that  Sam  was  relieved  from  his  duties  of  concocter 
of  punch. 


188  TB£  TOUNQ  BUGLERS, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BUSACO   AND  TORRES  VEDRAS. 

Instead  of  pressing  forward  upon  his  invasion  of  Portu- 
gal,  Massena  prepared  to  besiege  Almeida,  and  for  a  month 
the  British  and  Portuguese  army  remained  in  their  posi- 
tion within  a  few  hours'  march  of  that  town.  Wellington 
expected  that  Almeida  Avould  be  able  to  resist  for  two 
months,  and  hoped  to  find  some  opportunity  for  falling 
suddenly  upon  the  besiegers  ;  but  even  a  resistance  of  two 
months  would  have  made  it  so  late  in  the  season  that 
Massena  must  have  postponed  his  invasion  until  the  next 
spring. 

Upon  the  morning  of  the  26th  of  August  the  French 
batteries  opened  fire,  and  from  Guarda  the  dull,  heavy 
roar  of  artillery  could  be  heard  all  day.  As  darkness  fell, 
the  officers  of  the  Rangers  were,  as  usual,  assembling 
round  their  fire,  when  the  earth  seemed  to  shake  beneath 
their  feet,  and  a  flash  like  that  of  summer  lightning  lit  the 
eastern  sky.  ''What  can  that  be?  "was  the  general  ex- 
clamation. A  minute  later,  and  a  deep,  heavy,  prolonged 
roar  sounded  in  their  ears — then  all  was  quiet. 

*'  That  is  a  big  magazine,"  Captain  Manley  said,  ''  and 
Fm  afraid  it's  the  town,  for  it  sounded  too  heavy  for  a 
mere  field  magazine.  If  it  be  the  town,  you'll  see  it  won't 
hold  out  much  longer  ;  even  if  the  actual  damage  is  not 
very  great,  a  great  explosion  always  damages  the  morale  of 
a  defense,  and  in  that  case  we  shall  have  Massena  upon  us, 
and  there  will  be  wigs  on  the  green  ere  many  days  are 
over,'' 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  189 

Captain  Manley's  conclusions  were  correct.  The  maga- 
zine of  Almeida  had  exploded  with  terrific  effect.  Only 
eix  houses  were  left  standing  in  the  town,  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  ramparts  was  thrown  down,  and  five  hun- 
dred people  killed  on  the  spot.  The  stones  were  hurled 
in  all  directions  with  such  force  that  forty  of  the  besiegers 
were  hurt  in  the  trenches. 

Colonel  Cox,  who  commanded,  endeavored  to  rally  the 
panic-stricken  garrison,  and  upon  the  following  morning 
attempted  to  negotiate  with  Massena,  who  sent  an  officer 
to  demand  instant  surrender. 

Defense  was,  in  fact,  impossible,  but  Colonel  Cox  at- 
tempted to  negotiate,  because  he  hoped  that  Wellington 
would  at  once  advance  to  his  rescue.  His  intentions  were 
frustrated,  however,  by  the  treachery  and  mutiny  of  the 
principal  Portuguese  officers  under  him,  and  the  French 
at  once  took  possession  of  the  ruins. 

The  British  army  fell  back  a  short  distance  when  the 
news  of  the  disaster  arrived,  and  a  fortnight  of  great 
anxiety  and  watchfulness  passed,  as  it  was  not  certain  by 
which  road  or  roads  Massena  would  advance. 

It  was  not  until  the  18th  of  September  that  Massena 
fairly  commenced  his  march,  having  chosen  the  road  from 
Visen  through  Martagoa,  and  the  next  day  the  news 
reached  the  Rangers  that  the  British  army  was  to  concen- 
trate on  the  heights  of  Busaco. 

"  So  we  are  going  to  have  a  fight  for  it,"  Carruthers 
said  to  the  boys,  as  the  officers  assembled  in  readiness  to 
take  their  places  when  the  troops  had  fallen  in.  '^  What 
will  be  the  end  of  it?'' 

''  We  shall  lick  them,"  an  old  captain  said,  '^  though  they 
are  two  to  one,  and  then  they  will  march  round  us  some- 
how, and  then  we  shall  have  to  fall  back  in  all  haste  on 
Lisbon,  and  embark  there,  and  we  shall  eat  our  Christmas 
dinner  in  England." 

There  was  a  general  murmur  of  assent,  for  at  that  timd 


190  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

the  belief  was  almost  universal  in  the  British  army  that 
they  would  be  forced  to  abandon  Portugal. 

^'  I  do  not  know/'  Major  Fanshawe  said.  "  I  heard  last 
Bight,  from  a  man  who  has  just  returned  from  sick  leave 
at  Lisbon  that  there  are  thousands  of  peasants  employed 
under  our  engineers  in  getting  up  some  tremendous  works 
some  fifteen  miles  this  side  of  Lisbon.  I  should  not  be 
surprised  yet  if  Massena  finds  the  chief  a  nut  too  hard  to 
crack,  with  all  his  force.'' 

"  I  have  heard  something  about  these  works  at  Torres 
Vedras,"  Captain  Manley  said,  '^  a  mere  rumor  ;  still  I  be- 
lieve there  must  be  something  in  it.  Wellington  has  only 
some  twenty-five  thousand  British  troops,  and  as  many 
Portuguese,  while  Massena  has  over  a  hundred  thousand 
veterans  at  his  command.  Our  game  would  be  hopeless 
unless  we  have  something  to  fall  back  on.  No ;  I  have 
every  faith  in  our  general.     But  there  goes  the  bugle." 

On  the  24th  the  Eangers,  with  the  rest  of  Picton's  divis- 
ion, arrived  on  the  crest  of  Busaco,  where  Cole's  and 
Craufurd's  divisions  arrived  on  the  same  day.  This  posi- 
tion was  one  of  immense  strength,  being  a  long  ridge,  with 
a  very  deep  valley  in  front.  Upon  the  ojDposite  side  of  this 
ravine  the  slope  was  as  steep  and  sharp  as  that  of  Busaco  it- 
self, so  that  the  opposite  crest  was  within  easy  *cannon  shot. 
The  enemy,  in  order  to  attack  the  British  position,  would 
have  to  descend  into  the  bottom  of  this  steep  ravine,  and 
then  climb  up  the  precipitous  ascent,  to  meet  the  British 
soldiers  awaiting  them,  fresh  and  unshaken,  at  the  top. 
So  strong,  indeed,  was  the  position  that  the  English  gen- 
erals were  doubtful  whether  Massena  would  venture  to 
attack. 

Upon  the  25th  Cranf urd  moved  his  division  forward,  and 
would  have  repeated  his  mistake  of  the  Coa  had  not  Wel- 
lington himself  gone  forward  and  recalled  the  troops,  bring- 
ing them  off  with  difficulty  in  the  face  of  the  advancing 
masses  of  the  French.     By  three  in  the  afternoon,  40,000 


THE  YOU  NO  BUGLERS,  191 

French  infantry  were  on  the  ridge  opposite  Busaco,  and  it 
appeared  probable  that  the  battle  would  take  place  that 
afternoon,  in  which  case  the  British  position  would  have 
been  precarious,  for  neither  Spencer^'s,  HilFs,  nor  Leith's 
divisions  were  up. 

Massena,  however,  was  miles  behind,  and  Ney,  who  com- 
manded the  advance,  could  not  attack  without  orders  ', 
thus,  the  moment  favorable  for  the  French  passed  by. 
When  Massena  arrived  next  day,  the  British  divisions  were 
all  up  and  in  their  places,  and  the  long  crest  of  Busaco 
swarmed  with  troops.  Hill  occupied  the  right  across  the 
road  to  Pena  Cova,  then  came  Leith^s  5th  division,  then 
came  Picton  with  the  3d  division,  with  Spencer^s  divis- 
ion, the  1st,  next  to  him.  On  a  plateau  in  front  of  a  con- 
vent lay  Craufurd  and  Pack,  while  Cole,  with  the  4th 
division,  was  on  the  left. 

The  27th  and  28th  were  passed  in  comparative  tranquil- 
lity, the  rival  armies  surveying  each  other  across  the  chasm. 
Prom  the  woods  far  below  came  up  the  constant  crack  of 
the  rifle,  as  the  skirmishers  on  either  side  pushed  each 
other  backwards  ;  and  on  the  evening  of  the  28th  this  fight- 
ing increased  so  much  in  strength  and  intensity,  that  the 
British  troops  were  some  time  under  arms  in  expectation 
of  a  night  attack,  for  the  enemy's  riflemen  had  .pressed  far 
np  on  the  hill-side  towards  the  British  lines.  As  the  night 
went  on,  however,  the  fire  ceased,  and  the  dark  ravine 
between  the  two  long  lines  of  bright  watch-fires  became 
hushed  and  still. 

The  Rangers  were  with  Picton's  division,  and  were  out 
as  an  advance  half  way  down  the  ravine,  two  companies 
being  down  in  the  bottom  as  skirmishers.  Morning  was 
but  just  breaking  when  a  heavy  fire  burst  out  in  front. 
The  regiment  sprang  to  its  feet,  and  prepared  for  action. 
It  was  not  long  in  coming,  for  the  fire  rolled  rapidly  up 
the  hill  towards  them,  and  the  skirmishing  comjoanies  came 
running  back,  pressed  by  a  heavy  column  of  the  enemy. 


192  THE  YOUNG  BUGLhRS, 

Reynier  had  formed  in  two  divisions,  one  of  which  was 
now  pressing  forward  against  Picton's  right,  while  the  ob- 
ject of  the  other  was  to  gain  the  crest  still  farther  to  the 
right,  and  so  place  themselves  between  Picton  and  Leigh. 
The  whole  regiment  was  at  once  engaged,  but  the  French 
assault  was  too  powerful  to  be  resisted,  and  the  Rangers 
and  the  other  regiments  of  the  advanced  brigade  gave  way 
sullenly,  while  the  French  eagerly  pressed  up  the  hill,  al- 
though a  battery  opened  upon  them  from  the  crest,  while 
they  were  unsupported  by  their  own  artillery. 

*'  Golly,  Massa  Peter,  dese  fellows  fight  berry  hard  ;  look 
as  if  dey  lick  us  dis  time,"  the  black,  who  was  in  Peter's 
company,  said  to  him  as  the  regiment  retreated. 

''  The  battle  has  only  begun  yet,  Sam.  We  have  plenty 
of  fresh  troops  at  the  top  of  the  hill." 

*'  Good  ting,  dat,  Massa  Peter.  Berry  hard  work,  dis 
— climb  hill,  carry  kit,  fire  gun,  dodge  de  bullets,  all  same 
time." 

'*You  didn't  dodge  that  bullet  sharp  enough,  Sam," 
Peter  said  with  a  laugh,  as  the  negro's  shako  was  carried 
off  with  a  ball. 

"Him  cum  too  fast.  Dere,  you  frog-eating  thief."  he 
said  angrily  as  he  fired  his  musket  at  an  advancing  foe. 
*'  Dat  serve  you  right,"  he  went  on  to  himself  as  the  French- 
man fell.  "  You  spoil  Sam's  hat.  Dis  colored  gentleman 
catch  cold  first  time  him  come  on  to  rain." 

The  French  continued  their  impetuous  advance.  Pic- 
ton's  right,  as  they  climbed  the  hill,  fell  back  towards  his 
center,  and  in  half  an  hour  from  the  first  shot  being  fired 
the  head  of  the  French  column  had  won  the  crest,  and, 
being  between  Leigh  and  Picton's  divisions,  had  cut  the 
British  position.  Then  the  column  nearest  to  Picton's  di- 
vision began  to  wheel  to  its  right,  so  as  to  sweep  the  crest. 

*^  Lie  down,  the  Rangers  ;  every  man  down,"  shouted 
the  colonel,  and  the  breathless  men  threw  themselves  pant- 
ing on  the  ground.     A  wild  Irish  shout  was  heard  behind 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  193 

tae.adj?  thay  did  so,  and  a  tremendous  volley  of  musketry 
rang  over  their  heads,  and  then  the  88th  and  a  wing  of  the 
4:5'"h  dashed  across  them,  and,  with  fierce  cheers,  charged 
that  portion  of  the  column  engaged  in  wheeling.  Breath- 
less and  in  disorder  from  their  prodigious  efforts,  the  French 
were  unable  to  resist  this  fresh  attack.  In  an  instant  the 
British  were  among  them,  and  mixed  up  in  wild  confusion, 
fighting  hand  to  hand,  the  mass  of  combatants  went  min- 
gled together  down  the  hill.  Nor  was  the  success  of  the 
French  column  which  had  gained  the  crest  of  long  dura- 
tion, for  Leith  brought  up  one  of  his  brigades  ;  Colonel 
Cameron,  with  the  9th  Regiment,  dashed  at  the  enemy 
with  the  bayonet,  without  firing  a  single  shot,  while  the 
38th  attacked  their  flank  ;  and  the  French,  unable  to  re- 
sist the  onslaught,  relinquished  their  position  and  retreated 
down  the  hill.  Nor  upon  the  French  right  had  Ney's  at- 
tack proved  more  successful. 

Napier  thus  describes  the  combat  in  this  quarter  of  the 
field  : — '^  When  the  light  broke,  three  heavy  masses  de- 
tached from  the  sixth  corps  were  seen  to  enter  the  woods 
below,  and  to  throw  forward  a  profusion  of  skirmishers  ; 
one  of  them,  under  General  Marchand,  emerging  from  the 
dark  chasm  and  following  the  main  road,  seemed  intent  to 
turn  the  right  of  the  light  division  ;  a  second,  under 
Loison,  made  straight  up  the  mountain  against  the  front ; 
the  third  remained  in  reserve.  Simon's  brigade,  lead- 
ing Loison's  attack,  ascended  with  a  wonderful  alacrity, 
and  though  the  light  troops  plied  it  incessantly  with  mus- 
ketry, and  the  artillery  bullets  swept  through  it  from 
the  first  to  the  last  section,  its  order  was  never  disturbed, 
nor  its  speed  in  the  least  abated.  Ross's  guns  were  worked 
with  incredible  quickness,  yet  their  range  was  palpably  con- 
tracted every  round  ;  the  enemy's  shots  came  ringing  up 
in  a  sharper  key,  the  English  skirmishers,  breathless  and 
begrimed  with  powder,  rushed  over  the  edge  of  the  ascent, 
the  artillery  drew  back,   and  the   victorious  cries  of  thQ 


194  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEBS,  f 

French  were  heard  within  a  few  yards  of  the  summit. 
Craufurd,  standing  alone  on  one  of  the  rocks,  had  been 
intently  watching  the  progress  of  their  attack,  and  now, 
with  a  shrill  tone,  ordered  the  two  regiments  in  reserve  to 
charge.  The  next  moment  a  horrid  shout  startled  the 
French  column,  and  eighteen  hundred  British  bayonets 
went  sparkling  over  the  hill.  Yet  so  brave,  so  hardy 
were  the  leading  French,  that  each  man  of  the  first  section 
raised  his  musket,  and  two  officers  and  ten  men  fell  before 
them.  Not  a  Frenchman  had  missed  his  mark.  They 
could  do  no  more.  The  head  of  their  column  was  violently 
thrown  back  upon  the  rear,  both  flanks  were  overlapped  at 
the  same  time  by  the  English  wings,  three  terrible  dis- 
charges at  five  yards'  distance  shattered  the  wavering  mass, 
and  a  long  line  of  broken  arms  and  bleeding  carcases 
marked  the  line  of  flight.'' 

Ney  did  not  renew  the  attack,  and  with  some  desultory 
ekirmishing  the  battle  ended  at  two  o'clock,  and  an  hour's 
truce  enabled  both  parties  to  carry  off  their  wounded. 

Small  parties  of  the  French  came  in  contact  with  the 
English  skirmishers  during  the  afternoon,  but  the  battle 
of  Buscco  was  over. 

'^  Don't  call  dat  much  of  battle,"  Sam  said  discontentedly. 
*'  Just  little  fierce  fight,  berry  out  of  bref,  and  den,  just  as 
second  wind  came,  all  ober." 

The  battle  of  Busaco  was  indeed  one  of  secondary  im- 
portance. The  losses  were  not  great  on  either  side,  al- 
though that  of  the  French  was  fully  threefold  greater  than 
that  of  the  British,  as  the  former  were  exposed  during  their 
attack  to  the  grape  and  shell  of  the  British  guns,  while 
the  French  guns  afforded  no  assistance  to  their  infantry. 
The  French  loss,  in  killed  and  wounded  and  prisoners,  did 
not  exceeed  4000,  of  which  only  800  were  killed.  Nor  was 
any  strategical  advantage  gained  by  the  battle,  for  the 
French,  upon  the  following  day,  found  a  road  across  the 
hills  to  the  British  left  from  Martagoa  through  Bonzalva. 


THE  TOUNG  BUGLERS,  195 

Throughout  the  day  they  made  feints  of  renewing  the 
attack  upon  the  English  position,  and  it  was  not  until  late 
in  the  afternoon  that  long  columns  of  men  were  seen  cross- 
ing the  hill  to  the  left;  and  Wellington  discovered  that 
Busaco  had  been  won  in  vain,  for  that  his  flank  was  turned, 
and  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  fall  back  upon  Torres 
Vedras.  Before  night  the  whole  British  army  was  in 
retreat. 

"What  a  horrible  scene  of  confusion,"  Tom  remarked, 
as  they  marched  into  the  town  of  Coimbra  next  day. 

"Confusion!"  Captain  Manley  said;  "it  is  enough  to 
drive  a  commander-in-chief  out  of  his  mind.  Here  Wel- 
lington has  for  weeks  been  endeavoring  to  get  the  Portu- 
guese Government  to  compel  all  the  population  to  retire 
upon  Lisbon,  carrying  all  they  can,  destroying  the  mills, 
and  burning  all  the  corn  they  could  not  carry  off.  The 
Government  did  issue  the  order,  but  it  has  taken  no  steps 
whatever  to  carry  it  out,  although  they  knew  all  along 
that  we  could  never  repel  the  invasion  in  the  open.  As  it 
is,  the  greater  portion  of  these  poor  wretches  will  lose  all 
they  possess,  which  they  might  have  carried  off  quietly 
enough  during  the  last  two  months.  Many  of  them  will 
lose  their  lives,  and  they  will  block  the  roads  so  that  we 
shall  have  the  French  down  on  us  to  a  certainty." 

Nothing  could  be  more  sad  than  the  scene.  The  streets 
of  Coimbra  were  crowded  with  fugitives  from  the  country 
round,  and  these,  as  well  as  the  inhabitants,  were  all  pre- 
paring to  push  onwards  towards  Lisbon.  Bullock  carts 
and  carriages,  mules,  donkeys,  and  horses  were  crowded 
together,  all  laden  with  the  aged,  the  children,,  tlie  sick, 
and  such  property  as  was  most  portable  and  valuable. 
Happily  Massena  had  a  circuitous  detour  to  make;  the 
road  in  the  mountain  defile  was  scarcely  passable,  and 
throughout  the  march  he  displayed  but  little  energy;  con- 
sequently it  was  not  until  the  morning  of  the  first  of  Octob-r 
that  his  cavalry  engaged  those  of  the  light  division  which 


106  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

was  covering  the  retreat.  The  division  fell  back  through 
the  town,  and  the  inhabitants,  who  had  lingered  to  the 
last  in  some  vague  hope  that  the  French  would  not  come, 
now  rushed  out  again.  The  bridge  behind  the  town  was 
choked,  and  the  troops  had  to  halt  for  some  time.  In  the 
rear  the  pistol  shots  of  the  cavalry  told  of  the  approach  of 
the  French,  and  the  din  made  by  the  panic-stricken  fugi- 
tives was  increased  by  the  yells  of  the  prisoners  shut  up  and 
forgotten  in  the  prison  hard  by.  Their  cries  and  supplica- 
tions were  too  painful  to  be  resisted,  and  th^  British  forced 
the  prison  doors  and  let  them  free.  Once  across  the  bridge, 
the  troops  found  the  defile  of  Condeixa  so  choked  up  that 
it  was  impossible  to  effect  a  passage,  and,  had  the  French 
pressed  them  the  division  must  have  been  destroyed. 

The  French  infantry,  however,  had  not  arrived,  and  by 
night  the  road  was  cleared,  and  the  troops  passed  on. 

There  was  no  pursuit,  for  Massena  allowed  his  troops  to 
halt  and  plunder  Coimbra,  and  the  British  by  easy  marches^ 
fell  back  to  Torres  Vedras  ;  but  though  unpursued,  the 
disorder  and  relaxation  of  discipline  which  always  marks 
a  retreat,  showed  itself,  and  Wellington  was  obliged 
to  hang  several  plunderers,  and  to  resort  to  other  severe 
measures  to  restore  to  discipline  that  army  which,  only  a 
week  before,  had  repulsed  the  best  troops  of  France.  To- 
wards the  end  of  the  march  the  French  pressed  them  again, 
and  Craufurd,  with  his  light  division,  had  a  narrow  escape 
of  being  cut  off. 

Great  was  the  satisfaction  of  the  British  troops  when 
they  took  up  the  position  so  carefully  prepared  for  them  ; 
equally  great  the  surprise  of  Massena  and  the  French  army 
when  they  beheld  the  almost  impregnable  line  of  re- 
doubts and  fortresses  of  whose  very  existence  they  had  only 
heard  a  confused  rumor  two  or  three  days  before.  And 
yet  formidable  as  was  the  chain  of  forts  occupied  by  the 
British,  this  was  weak  in  comparison  to  the  second  line 
some  five  or  six  miles  iii  the  rear,  to  which  Wellington 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  197* 

would  have  fallen  back  if  driven  from  his  first  position. 
This  second  position  was  indeed  that  which  he  had  origi- 
nally intended  to  have  taken  up,  the  redoubts  on  the  ex- 
terior range  of  liills  being  intended  as  outposts  ;  but,  while 
Massena  delayed  his  advance,  the  outside  line  of  fortifica- 
tions had  so  grown  and  increased  in  strength,  that  Well- 
ington resolved  to  hold  them  in  the  first  place. 

There  were,  therefore,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  plan,  three 
lines  of  defense.  The  first  from  Alhandra  on  the  Tagus  to 
Zizandre  on  the  sea-coast.  This,  following  the  windinfi^s 
of  the  hills,  was  twenty-nine  miles  long ;  the  second  and 
main  line  was  from  Quintella  on  the  Tagus  to  the  mouth 
of  the  San  Lorenza,  twenty-four  miles  in  length  ;  the  third, 
intended  to  cover  an  embarkation,  in  case  of  necessity,  ex- 
tended from  Passo  d'Arcos  on  the  Tagus  to  the  town  of 
Junquera  on  the  coast. 

Massena  spent  some  days  in  surveying  the  British  posi- 
tion, and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  too  strong  to 
be  attacked.  Had  the  order  of'Wellington  been  carried 
out,  and  the  whole  country  wasted  of  provisions,  the  French 
army  must  have  made  a  precipitate  retreat  to  avoid  starva- 
tion, for  they  had  no  provisions  or  connection  with  Spain. 
Wilson  and  Trant,  with  Portuguese  levies,  hung  upon  their 
rear,  and  captured  Coimbra,  where  Massena  had  left  his  sick 
and  wounded,  5000  in  number,  upon  the  very  day  after 
the  main  French  army  advanced  from  the  town.  So  vast 
were  the  supplies,  however,  left  in  the  country  that  Massena 
was  able  to  take  up  his  position,  first  immediately  in  front 
of  the  British  lines,  and  afterwards  at  Santarem,  within 
a  day's  march  of  them,  and  to  maintain  his  army  in  food 
throughout  the  winter  until  the  beginning  of  March. 

''Have  you  seen  the  6^«^^A''^,  Scudamore  ? ''  Carruthers 
asked,  rushing  into  the  tent  one  morning  about  a  week 
after  the  regiment  liad  settled  down  in  its  tents  on  the 
heights  of  Torres  Vedras. 

*'  No  j  what's  up  ?  "  Tom  replied. 


198  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

''  There  you  are ;  you  have  both  got  your  steps.  Thomaa 
Scudamore,  ensign,  Norfolk  Kangers,  to  be  lieutenant, 
for  distinguished  services  in  the  field.  Peter  Scudamore, 
ditto,  ditto.  I  wondered  the  chief  had  done  nothing  for 
you  after  your  journey  through  Spain. ^^ 

'*^  I  am  sure  I  did  not  expect  anything,"  Tom  answered, 
'^  and  was  quite  content  when  the  colonel  told  us  that  Lord 
Wellington  had  said  he  was  pleased  with  the  manner  we 
had  done  our  work.  However,  I  am  very  glad  ;  but  it  ia 
not  pleasant  going  over  five  or  six  fellows'  heads." 

'^  Fortune  of  war,"  Carruthers  said  laughing.  * '  Besides, 
two  of  them  are  at  the  dep6t,  Sankey  is  away  on  sick  leave, 
and  none  of  the  three  who  are  senior  to  you  here  will  ever 
set  the  Thames  on  fire.  No,  no,  you  have  fairly  earned 
your  step  and  no  one  can  say  a  word  against  it." 

The  news  soon  spread,  and  the  boys  were  heartily  con- 
gratulated by  all  the  officers  of  the  regiment  on  their  pro- 
motion, which  placed  them  next  on  the  list  to  Carruthers, 
who  had  previously  been  the  junior  lieutenant.  Promo- 
tion in  those  days  was  rapid,  and  after  a  severe  engage- 
ment an  ensign  only  joined  upon  the  previous  week  might 
find  himself  a  lieutenant,  from  the  number  of  death  vacan- 
cies caused  in  the  ranks  above  him.  The  Norfolk  Rangers 
had  not  suffered  heavily  at  Talavera,  or  the  boys  might 
have  had  their  lieutenant^s  rank  before  this,  without  per- 
forming any  exceptional  services. 

**  I  wish  we  could  get  two  months^  leave,  Tom,"  Peter 
said  that  night.  *^  Of  course  it  is  impossible,  but  it  would 
be  jolly  to  drop  in  upon  Rhoda.  By  her  letter  she  seems 
well  and  happy,  and  aunt  is  very  kind  to  her.  It  would 
be  nice ;  and  now  we  are  lieutenants,  aunt  wouldn't  tell 
us  to  rub  our  shoes." 

'^Noj"  Tom  laughed,  ''or  be  afraid  of  our  pelting  her 
pigeons  and  Minnie." 

''  No,"  Peter  said.  "  Evidently  she  is  coming  round. 
Rhoda  said  that  since  she  has  heard  that  we  have  got  our 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  199 

commissions  she  has  given  up  prophesying  once  or  twice  a 
day  that  we  shall  come  to  a  bad  end — probably  hanging." 

*'  Yes,  and  Rhoda  said  in  her  letter  yesterday  that  aunt 
was  quite  touched  with  those  lace  mantillas  we  got  at 
Madrid,  and  sent  off  the  day  after  we  rejoined,  and  actu- 
ally remarked  that,  although  we  could  no  longer  be  looked 
upon  as  boys,  and  seemed  really  as  hair-brained  and  fond 
of  getting  into  scrapes  as  ever,  yet  it  was  evident  that  we 
were  good,  kindly  lads,  and  meant  well  at  heart." 

*'  I  wish,"  Tom  said,  with  a  sudden  burst  of  laughter, 
*^  that  we  could  dress  in  our  old  disguises,  I  as  a  student 
of  theology  you  as  a  mild  young  novice  ;  what  a  lark  we 
would  have  with  her  ! "  and  the  boys  went  off  into  such 
shouts  of  laughter,  that  their  aunt  would  have  thought 
them  more  scatter-brained  than  ever  if  she  had  heard  them, 
while  from  the  tent  of  Captain  Manley  on  one  side,  and  of 
Carruthers  and  another  young  officer  on  the  other,  came 
indignant  expostulations,  and  entreaties  that  they  would 
keep  quiet^  and  let  other  people  go  to  sleep. 


goo  fMS  rOUJ^Q  B00LJS3i% 


CHAPTER  Xin. 


ALBUERA. 


Very  heavily  did  five  months  in  the  lines  of  Torres 
Vedras  pass  to  the  Norfolk  Rangers.  When,  in  the  begin- 
ning of  November,  Massena  fell  back  to  Sautarem,  the 
greater  portion  of  the  army  followed  him  in  readiness  for 
attack  should  any  openings  be  found.  Massena,  however, 
entrenched  himself  in  a  very  strong  position,  and  Welling- 
ton could  no  more  attack  him  than  he  could  attack  the 
lines  of  Torres  Vedras ;  so  that  both  armies  faced  each 
other  in  inactivity  until  the  beginning  of  March,  when 
Massena  broke  up  his  camp  and  began  to  retreat. 

The  Norfolk  Rangers  had  been  one  of  the  regiments 
which  had  remained  in  their  quarters  on  Torres  Vedras 
throughout  the  winter,  and  great  was  the  joy  with  which 
they  received  orders  to  strike  their  tents  and  push  on  in 
pursuit.  The  retreat  of  Massena  was  masterly.  Ney's  divis- 
ion covered  the  rear,  and  several  sharp  fights  took  place 
which  are  known  in  history  as  the  combats  of  Pombal, 
Redinha,  Cazal  Nova,  Foz  d*  Aronce,  and  Sabugal. 

In  most  of  these  the  enemy  were  driven  from  their  posi- 
tion by  the  British  outflanking  them  and  threatening 
their  line  of  retreat ;  but  in  the  last,  by  a  mistake  of 
General  Erskine,  a  portion  of  his  division  attacked  the 
enemy  in  rear,  and,  although  vastly  outnumbered,  drove 
him  off  from  the  crest  he  held  with  desperate  valor.  Wel- 
lington himself  said,  *'  This  was  one  of  the  most  glorious 
actions  British  troops  were  ever  engaged  in.'^ 

The  next  day  the  French  crossed  the  Coa  and  Turones, 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  201 

and  took  np  their  position  under  the  guns  of  Ciudad 
Kodrigo,  which  they  had  left  six  months  before  with  the 
full  assurance  that  they  were  going  to  conquer  Portugal, 
and  drive  the  British  into  the  sea.  The  invasion  cost 
Massena  thirty  thousand  men,  killed  in  battle,  taken 
prisoners,  or  dead  from  hardships,  fatigues  and  fevers. 

The  Scudamores  were  not  present  at  the  battle  of  Sabugal, 
for  on  the  afternoon  after  the  combat  of  Foz  d'Aronce  an 
orderly  rode  up  to  the  regiment  and  handed  a  note  to  the 
colonel.  He  read  it,  and  at  once  summoned  the  Scuda- 
mores at  his  side. 

'^  An  order  from  the  commander-in-chief,"  he  said,  ''for 
you  to  go  to  him  at  once." 

Following  the  orderly,  the  boys  soon  arrived  at  the  cottage 
at  which  Lord  Wellington  had  established  his  headquarters. 

^'  His  lordship  is  with  Lord  Beresford,"  the  aid-de-camp 
to  whom  they  gave  their  names  said,  "  but  the  orders  are 
that  you  are  to  be  shown  in  at  once." 

The  lads  were  ushered  into  a  small  room,  where,  seated 
at  a  table,  were  the  commanders-in-chief  of  the  British 
and  the  Portuguese  troops. 

"  Young  gentlemen,"  the  former  said,  looking  up  with 
his  keen  piercing  eyes,  "  I  have  not  seen  you  since  your 
return  from  Spain.  I  am  content  with  what  you  did,  and 
with  the  detailed  report  you  sent  me  in.  I  shall  keep  my 
eye  upon  you.  Lord  Beresford  has  asked  me  for  two 
officers  as  aides-de-camp,  and  he  specially  requires  them 
to  have  a  perfect  knowledge  of  Spanish.  I  have  mentioned 
your  names  to  him.  It  is  not  often  that  I  confidently  rec- 
ommend young  officers,  but  from  what  I  know  of  you  I 
have  felt  able  to  do  so  in  the  present  case.  You  will,  with 
him,  have  opportunities  of  distinguishing  yourselves  such  as 
you  could  not  have  with  your  regiment.  You  accept  the 
appointments  ?  " 

Tom  and  Peter  would  far  rather  have  remained  with 
their  regiment,  but  they  felt  that,  after  what  Lord  Wel« 


202  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

lington  had  said,  they  could  not  refuse ;  they  consequently 
expressed  at  once  their  willingness  to  serve,  and  their 
thanks  to  the  general  for  his  kindness  in  recommending 
them. 

'^  You  can  ride,  I  hope  ?"  Lord  Beresford,  a  powerfully- 
built,  pleasant-looking  man,  said. 

''  Yes,  sir,  we  can  both  ride,  but  at  present — " 

'^  You  have  no  horses,  of  course  ? ''  Lord  Beresford  put 
in.  *'I  will  provide  you  with  horses,  and  will  assign 
servants  to  you  from  one  of  the  cavalry  regiments  with 
me.  Will  you  join  me  at  daybreak  to-morrow  ?  we  shalJ 
march  at  once." 

There  was  a  general  expression  of  regret  when  the 
Scudamores  informed  their  comrades  that  they  were  again 
ordered  on  detached  duty.  As  to  Sam,  when  Tom  told 
him  that  he  could  not  accompany  them,  he  was  uproarious 
in  his  lamentations,  and  threatened  to  desert  from  his 
regiment  in  order  to  follow  them.  At  this  the  boys 
laughed,  and  told  ^am  that  he  would  be  arrested  and  sent 
back  before  he  had  gone  six  hours. 

"  I  tink,  Massa  Tom,  dat  you  might  hab  told  de  general 
dat  you  hab  got  an  fust-class  serbent,  and  dat  you  bring 
him  wid  you." 

'^  But  we  shall  be  mounted  now,  Sam,  and  must  have 
mounted  men  with  us.     You  can^t  ride,  you  know." 

*'  Yes,  massa,  dis  child  ride  first-rate,  he  can." 

**  Why,  Sam,  I  heard  you  say  not  long  ago  you  had 
never  ridden  on  a  horse  all  your  life." 

"  Never  hab,  massa,  dat's  true  ^nuff  ;  but  Sam  sure  he 
can  ride.  Berry  easy  ting  dat.  Sit  on  saddle,  one  leg 
each  side — not  berry  difficult  dat.  Sam  see  tousand  sol- 
diers do  dat  ebery  day ;  dey  sit  quite  easy  on  saddle ;  much 
more  easy  dat  dan  beat  big  drum." 

The  boys  laughed  heartily  at  Sam's  notion  of  riding 
without  practice,  and  aspured  him  that  it  was  not  so  easy 
as  he  imagined. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  208 

*'Look  here,  Sam/'  Peter  said  at  last,  '^yon  practice 
riding  a  little,  and  then  next  time  we  get  away  we  will  ask 
for  you  to  go  with  us."  And  with  this  Sam  was  obliged 
to  be  content. 

Half  an  hour  later,  when  the  boys  were  chatting  with 
Captain  Manley,  Carruthers,  and  two  or  three  other  offi- 
cers, in  the  tent  of  the  first-named  officer,  they  heard  a 
commotion  outside,  with  shouts  of  laughter,  in  which 
they  joined  as  soon  as  they  went  out  and  saw  what  was 
going  on. 

Sam,  upon  leaving  the  Scudamores,  determined  at  once 
upon  trying  the  experiment  of  riding,  in  order  that  he 
might — for  he  had  no  doubt  all  would  be  easy  enough — 
ride  triumphantly  up  to  his  masters'  tent  and  prove  his 
ability  to  accompany  them  at  once.  He  was  not  long  be- 
fore he  saw  a  muleteer  coming  along  sitting  carelessly  on 
his  mule,  with  both  legs  on  one  side  of  the  animal,  side- 
saddle fashion,  as  is  the  frequent  custom  of  muleteers.  It 
was  evident,  by  the  slowness  of  his  pace,  that  he  was  not 
pressed  for  time. 

Sam  thought  that  this  was  a  fine  opportunity. 

"  Let  me  have  a  ride  ? ''  he  said  to  the  muleteer  in 
broken  Portuguese. 

The  man  shook  his  head.  Sam  held  out  a  quarter  of  a 
dollar.  '^  There,"  he  said,  '^  Til  give  you  that  for  a  hour's 
ride." 

The  muleteer  hesitated,  and  then  said,  ''The  mule  is 
very  bad  tempered  with  strangers." 

''Oh,  dat  all  nonsense,"  Sam  thought,  '^he  only  pretend 
dat  as  excuse  ;  any  one  can  see  de  creature  as  quiet  as 
lamb  ;  don't  he  let  his  master  sit  on  him  sideways  ?" 

''  All  right,"  he  said  aloud,  "  I  try  him." 

The  muleteer  dismounted,  and  Sam  prepared  to  take 
his  place  on  the  saddle.  By  this  time  several  of  the  Ran- 
gers had  gathered  round,  and  these  foreseeing,  from  the 
appearance  of  the  mule  and  the  look  of  sly  amusement  iu 


204  THE  YOUNG  BUOLEBS. 

the  face  of  the  muleteer,  that  there  was  likely  to  be  some 
fun,  at  once  proposed  to  assist,  which  they  did  by  giving 
advice  to  Sam  of  the  most  opposite  nature.  Sam  was  first 
going  to  mount  on  the  off  side,  but  this  irregularity  was 
repressed,  and  one  wag,  taking  the  stirrup  of  the  near  side 
in  his  hand,  said,  "Now,  Sam,  up  you  go,  never  mind 
what  these  fellows  say,  you  put  your  right  foot  in  the 
stirrup,  and  lift  your  left  over  the  saddle.'^ 

Sam  acted  according  to  these  instructions,  and  found 
himself,  to  his  intense  amazement  and  the  delight  of  the 
bystanders,  sitting  with  his  face  to  the  mule's  tail. 

'^  Hullo,''  he  exclaimed  in  astonishment,  '^  dis  all 
wrong ;  you  know  noting  about  de  business,  you  Bill 
Atkins." 

And  Sam  prepared  to  descend,  when,  at  his  first  move- 
ment, the  mule  put  down  his  head  and  fiung  his  heels 
high  in  the  air.  Sam  instinctively  threw  himself  forward, 
but  not  recovering  his  upright  position  before  the  mule 
again  flung  up  her  hind  quarters,  he  received  a  violent 
blow  on  the  nose.  "  Golly ! "  exclaimed  the  black  in  a  tone 
of  extreme  anguish,  as,  with  water  streaming  from  his  eyes, 
he  instinctively  clutched  the  first  thing  which  came  to 
hand,  the  root  of  the  mule's  tail,  and  held  on  like  grim 
death.  The  astonished  mule  lashed  out  wildly  and  furi- 
ously, but  Sam,  with  his  body  laid  close  on  her  back,  his 
hands  grasping  her  tail,  and  his  legs  and  feet  pressing 
tight  to  her  flanks,  held  on  with  the  clutch  of  despair. 

"  Seize  de  debil ! — seize  him  ! — he  gone  mad  !  " — he 
cliouted  frantically,  but  the  soldiers  were  in  such  fits  of 
laughter  that  they  could  do  nothing. 

Then  the  mule,  finding  that  he  could  not  get  rid  of  this 
singular  burden  by  kicking,  started  suddenly  off  at  full 
gallop. 

''  Stop  him — stop  him,'*  yelled  Sam.  *'  Gracious  me, 
dis  am  drefful." 

This  was  the  siaht  which  met  the  eves  of  the  Scuda* 


TBB  TOUNG  BUOLSRS,  20ft 

snores  and  their  brother  officers  as  they  isaoed  from  their 
"^ents.  The  soldiers  were  all  out  of  their  tents  now,  and 
:he  air  rang  with  laughter  mingled  with  shouts  of  *'Go  it, 
noke  !  "     ''  Hold  on,  Sam  ! " 

*^  Stop  that  mule,"  Captain  Manley  shouted,  ''or  the 
:nan  will  be  killed.'* 

Several  soldiers  ran  to  catch  at  the  bridle,  but  the  mule 
jwerved  and  dashed  away  cut  of  camp  along  the  road. 

*'  Look,  look,"  Tom  said,  "  there  are  the  staff,  and 
Lord  Wellington  among  them.  The  mule's  going  to 
3harge  them." 

The  road  was  somewhat  narrow,  with  a  wall  of  four  feet 
aigh  on  either  side,  and  the  general,  who  was  riding  at 
:he  head  of  the  party,  drew  his  rein  Avhen  he  saw  the  mule 
:!oming  along  at  a  furious  gallop.  The  staff  did  the  same, 
and  a  general  shout  was  raised  to  check  or  divert  her  wild 
career.  The  obstinate  brute,  however,  maddened  by  the 
shouts  which  had  greeted  her  from  all  sides,  and  the 
Btrange  manner  in  which  she  was  being  ridden,  never 
swerved  from  her  course.  When  she  was  within  five  yards 
of  the  pirty,  the  general  turned  his  horse,  touched  him 
with  his  spur,  and  leaped  him  lightly  over  the  wall  ;  one 
or  two  others  followed  his  example,  but  the  others  had  not 
time  to  do  so  before  the  mule  was  among  them.  Two 
horses  and  riders  were  thrown  down,  one  on  either  side, 
with  the  impetus  of  the  shock,  and  then,  kicking,  striking 
and  charging,  the  animal  made  its  way  past  the  others  and 
dashed  on  in  despite  of  the  attempts  to  stop  her,  and  the 
cries  of  ''Shoot  the  brute,"  "Eide  him  down,"  and  the 
angry  ejaculations  of  those  injured  in  its  passage.  Thirty 
yards  behind  the  group  of  officers  were  the  escort,  and 
these  prepared  to  catch  the  mule,  when  turning  to  the  left 
she  leaped  the  wall,  eliciting  a  scream  of  terror  from  Sam, 
who  was  nearly  shaken  from  his  hold  by  the  sudden  jerk. 
The  anger  of  the  officers  was  changed  into  a  burst  of  amuse- 
ment at  seeing  Sam's  dark  face  and  staring  eyes  over  the 


206  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

mule's  crupper,  and  even  Lord  Wellington  smiled  grimly. 
An  order  was  hastily  given,  and  four  troopers  detached 
themselves  from  the  escort  and  started  off  in  pursuit.  The 
mule  was,  however,  a  fast  one,  and  maddened  by  fright, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  the  foremost  of  the  troopers 
was  up  to  her.  As  he  came  alongside,  the  mule  suddenly 
swerved  round  and  lashed  out  viciously,  one  of  her  heels 
coming  against  the  horse's  ribs,  and  the  other  against  the 
leg  of  the  rider,  who,  in  spite  of  his  thick  jack-boot,  for 
some  time  thought  that  his  leg  was  broken. 

He  fell  behind,  and  the  others,  rendered  cautious  by  the 
lesson,  came  up  but  slowly,  and  prepared  to  close  upon  the 
animal's  head,  one  from  each  side.  Just  as  they  were 
going  to  do  so,  however,  they  were  startled  by  a  scattered 
fire  of  musketry,  and  by  the  sound  of  balls  whizzing  about 
their  ears,  and  discovered  that  in  the  ardor  of  the  chase 
they  had  passed  over  the  space  which  separated  the  French 
from  the  English  lines,  and  that  they  were  close  to  the 
former.  At  the  same  moment  they  saw  a  party  of  cavalry 
stealing  round  to  cut  off  their  retreat.  Turning  their 
horses,  the  dragoons  rode  off  at  full  speed,  but  the  French 
cavalry,  on  fresher  horses,  would  have  caught  them  before 
they  reached  the  English  lines  had  not  a  troop  of  British 
horse  dashed  forward  to  meet  them  upon  seeing  their 
danger.  As  to  the  mule,  she  continued  her  wild  gallop 
into  the  French  lines,  where  she  was  soon  surrounded  and 
captured. 

The  boys  were  greatly  vexed  at  the  loss  of  their  faithful 
black,  but  they  had  little  time  for  grieving,  for  an  hour 
ater  they  rode  off  with  General  Beresford's  division. 
Three  days' march  brought  them  to  Oampo  Mayor,  a  town 
which  had,  two  days  before,  surrendered  to  the  French, 
who,  surprised  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  British, 
evacuated  the  place  hastily  and  retreated,  after  suffering 
much  from  a  brilliant  charge  of  the  13th  Hussars,  who, 
although  unsupported,  charged  right  through  the  French 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  207 

cavalry,  and  Beresford  then  prepared  to  lay  siege  to  Bada- 
jos.  Had  he  pushed  forward  at  once,  he  would  have 
found  the  place  unprepared  for  a  siege,  but,  delaying  a 
few  days  at  Elvas  to  give  his  tired  troops  repose,  the 
Trench  repaired  the  walls,  and  were  in  a  position  to  offer 
a  respectable  defense,  when  he  made  his  appearance  under 
its  walls.  The  army  was  very  badly  provided  with  heavy 
guns,  but  "the  approaches  were  opened  and  the  siege  com- 
menced in  regular  form,  when  the  news  arrived  that  Soult 
was  marching  with  a  powerful  army  to  its  relief.  The 
guns  were  therefore  w^ithdrawn,  the  siege  raised,  and 
Beresford  marched  to  meet  Soult  at  Albuera. 

On  the  15th  of  May  he  took  up  his  position  on  rising 
ground  looking  down  on  Albuera,  having  the  river  in  his 
front.  Acting  with  him,  and  nominally  under  his  orders, 
was  a  Spanish  force  under  Blake.  This  was  intended  to 
occupy  the  right  of  the  position,  but  with  the  usual  Span- 
ish dilatoriness,  instead  of  being  upon  the  ground,  as  he 
had  promised,  by  noon,  Blake  did  not  arrive  until  past 
midnight ;  the  French  accordingly  crossed  the  river  un- 
molested, and  the  British  general  found  his  right  turned. 

Beresford^'s  position  was  now  a  very  faulty  one,  as  the 
woods  completely  hid  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  and  a 
high  hill,  which  they  had  at  once  seized,  flanked  the  whole 
allied  position  and  threatened  its  line  of  retreat. 

When  the  morning  of  the  16th  dawned  the  armies  were 
numerically  very  unequal.  The  British  had  30,000  in- 
fantry, 2,000  cavalry,  and  38  guns  ;  the  French,  19,000 
infantry,  4,000  cavalry,  and  40  guns ;  but  of  these  the 
French  were  all  veteran  troops,  while  Beresford  had  but 
6,000  British  troops,  the  remainder  being  Spanish  and 
Portuguese,  upon  whom  no  reliance  whatever  was  to  be 
placed.  The  British  officers  present  were  all  of  opinion 
that  their  chances  of  success,  under  the  circumstances, 
were  slight  indeed. 

The  battle  commenced  at  nine  in  the  morning  by  an 


208  1'^E  TOITNG  BUGLEB8. 

attack  by  the  French  general  Godinot  upon  the  bridge  of 
Albuera.  Their  cohimns  were,  however,  so  completely 
plowed  by  the  guns  of  the  Portuguese  upon  the  eminence 
behind  it,  that  they  made  no  progress,  and  Beresford  per- 
ceived at  once  that  the  main  attack  would  be  made  on  his 
right.  He  despatched  Tom  Scudamore  with  orders  to 
Blake  to  throw  back  his  troops  at  right  angles  to  the  main 
front.  The  pig-headed  Spaniard  refused  to  obey,  assert- 
ing that  the  main  attack  was  in  front.  Colonel  Hardinge 
was  sent  to  insist  upon  the  order  being  carried  out,  but 
Blake  still  refused,  and  Beresford  himself  rode  furiously 
across  and  took  the  command  just  as  the  French  column 
debouched  from  the  v/ood  on  the  right. 

Before  the  Spanish  movement  was  completed  the  French 
were  among  them.  Their  cavalry  swept  round  to  the 
right  rear,  and  menaced  the  line  of  retreat,  the  infantry 
charged  the  wavering  Spanish  battalions,  and  the  latter  at 
once  fell  into  confusion  and  began  to  fall  back.  William 
Stewart  now  arrived  with  a  brigade  of  the  second  division 
to  endeavor  to  retrieve  the  day  ;  but  as  they  were  advanc- 
ing into  position,  four  regiments  of  French  cavalry,  whose 
movements  were  hidden  in  the  driving  rain  until  they 
w^ere  close  at  hand,  fell  upon  them  and  rode  down  two- 
thirds  of  the  brigade,  the  31st  regiment  alone  having  time 
to  form  square  and  repulse  the  horsemen. 

Beresford  himself,  with  his  staff,  was  in  the  middle  of 
the  melee,  and  the  lads  found  themselves  engaged  in  hand- 
to-hand  combats  with  the  French  troopers.  All  was  con- 
fusion. Peter  was  unhorsed  by  the  shock  of  a  French 
hussar,  but  Tom  shot  the  trooper  before  he  could  cut 
Peter  down.  Free  for  a  moment,  he  looked  round,  and 
saw  a  French  lancer  charging,  lance  at  rest,  at  Lord 
Beresford.  '*  Look  out,  sir  !  *'  he  shouted,  and  the  general, 
turning  round,  swept  aside  the  lance  thrust  with  his  arm  ; 
and  as  the  lancer,  carried  on  by  the  impetus  of  his  charge, 
dashed  against  him,  he  seized  him  by  the  throat  and  waist. 


TBE  YOUNG  BVOLEHS.  209 

lifted  him  bodily  from  his  saddle,  and  hurled  him  insen- 
sible to  the  ground.  Just  at  this  moment  General  Lumley 
arrived  with  some  P^irtuguese  cavalry,  and  the  French, 
lancers  galloped  off. 

The  Spanish  cavalry,  who  had  orders  to  charge  the 
French  cavalry  in  flank,  galloped  up  until  within  a  few 
yards  of  them,  and  then  turned  and  fled  shamefully. 

Beresford,  now  furious  at  the  cowardice  of  the  Spanish 
infantry,  seized  one  of  their  ensigns  by  the  shoulder,  and 
dragged  him,  with  his  colors,  to  the  front  by  main  force, 
but  the  infantry  would  not  even  then  advance. 

The  driving  rain  saved  the  allied  army  at  this  critical 
moment,  for  Soult  was  unable  to  see  the  terrible  confusion 
which  reigned  in  their  ranks,  and  kept  his  heavy  columns 
in  hand  when  an  attack  would  have  carried  with  it  certain 
victory. 

In  the  pause  which  ensued,  the  British  regiments  began 
to  make  their  way  to  the  front.  Colbourn,  with  the  31st 
Eegiment,  was  already  there  ;  Stewart  brought  up  Haugh- 
ton's  brigade  ;  and  the  29th  burst  its  way  through  the 
flying  Spaniards  and  joined  the  31st,  these  movements 
being  made  under  a  storm  of  shot  and  shell  from  the 
French  artillery.  Colonel  Hartman  brought  up  the  British 
artillery,  and  the  Spanish  generals  Zayas  and  Ballesteros 
succeeded  in  checking  and  bringing  forward  again  some  of 
the  Spanish  infantry. 

The  French  advanced  in  great  force,  the  artillery  on  both 
sides  poured  in  grape  at  short  distance,  and  the  carnage 
was  terrible.  Still  the  little  band  of  British  held  their 
ground.  Stewart  was  twice  wounded,  Haughton  and 
Colonels  Duckworth  and  Inglis  slain.  Of  the  57th  Eegi- 
ment twenty-two  officers  and  four  hundred  men  fell  out 
of  the  five  hundred  that  had  mounted  the  hill,  and  the 
other  regiments  had  suffered  nearly  as  severely.  Not  a 
third  were  standing  unhurt,  and  fresh  columns  of  tha 
Prench  were  advancing. 


210  T'EE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

The  battle  looked  desperate,  and  Beresford  made  prep- 
arations for  a  retreat.  At  this  moment,  however.  Colonel 
Hardinge  brought  np  General  Cole  with  the  fourth  divi- 
sion, and  Colonel  Abercrombie  with  the  third  brigade 
of  Colbourn's  second  division.  Beresford  recalled  his 
order  for  retreat,  and  the  terrible  fight  continued.  The 
fourth  division  was  composed  of  two  brigades,  the  one,  a 
Portuguese  under  General  Harvey,  was  pushed  down  to 
the  right  to  keep  off  the  French  cavalry,  while  the  Fusilier 
brigade,  composed  of  the  7th  and  23rd  fusilier  regiments, 
under  Sir  William  Myers,  climbed  the  desperately  contested 
hill,  which  Abercombie  ascended  also,  more  on  the  left. 

It  was  time,  for  the  whole  of  the  French  reserves  were 
now  coming  into  action  ;  six  guns  were  already  in  the 
enemy's  possession,  the  remnant  of  Haughton^s  brigade 
could  no  longer  sustain  its  ground,  and  the  heavy  French 
columns  were  advancing  exultantly  to  assured  victory. 

Suddenly,  through  the  smoke.  Cole's  fusilier  brigade 
appeared  on  the  right  of  Haughton's  brigade,  just  as  Ab- 
ercrombie came  up  on  its  left.  Startled  by  the  sight,  and 
by  the  heavy  fire,  the  French  column  paused,  and,  to  quote 
Napier's  glowing  words,  *'  hesitated,  and  then,  vomit- 
ing forth  a  storm  of  fire,  hastily  endeavored  to  enlarge 
their  front,  while  a  fearful  discharge  of  grape  from  all 
their  artillery  whistled  through  the  British  ranks.  Myers 
was  killed.  Cole  and  the  three  colonels,  Ellis,  Blakeney 
and  Hawkshawe,  fell  wounded  ;  and  the  fusilier  battalions, 
struck  by  the  iron  tempest,  reeled  and  staggered  like  sink- 
ing ships  ;  but  suddenly  and  sternly  recovering,  they  closed 
with  their  terrible  enemies,  and  then  was  seen  with  what 
a  strength  and  majesty  the  British  soldier  fights.  In  vain 
did  Soult  with  voice  and  gesture  animate  his  Frenchmen  ; 
in  vain  did  the  hardiest  veterans  break  from  the  crowded 
columns  and  sacrifice  their  lives  to  gain  time  for  the  mass 
to  open  out  on  such  a  fair  field  ;  in  vain  did  the  mass  it- 
Belf  bear  up,  and,  fiercely  striving,  fire  indiscriminately 


TBE  TOXTNG  BUGLERS,  211 

upon  fi: fends  and  foes,  while  the  horsemen  hovering  on  its 
flank  threatened  to  charge  the  advancing  line.  Nothing 
could  stop  that  astonishing  infantry  ;  no  sudden  burst  of 
undisciplined  valor,  no  nervous  enthusiasm  weakened  the 
stability  of  their  order  ;  their  flashing  eyes  were  bent  ou 
the  dark  columns  in  their  front,  their  measured  tread  shook 
the  ground,  their  dreadful  volleys  swept  away  the  head  of 
every  formation,  their  deafening  shouts  overpowered  the 
dissonant  cries  that  broke  from  all  parts  of  the  tumultuous 
crowd,  as.  slowly  and  with  horrid  carnage,  it  was  pushed 
by  the  incessant  vigor  of  the  attack  to  the  farthest  edge 
of  the  hill.  In  vain  did  the  French  reserves  mix  with  the 
struggling  multitude  to  sustain  the  fight ;  their  efforts 
only  increased  the  irremediable  confusion,  and  the  mighty 
mass  breaking  off  like  a  loosened  cliff,  went  headlong  down 
the  steep  ;  the  rain  flowed  after  in  streams  discolored  with 
blood,  and  eighteen  hundred  unwounded  men,  the  remnant; 
of  six  thousand  unconquerable  British  soldiers,  stood  tri- 
umphant on  the  fatal  hill/' 

While  this  dreadful  fight  was  going  on,  Hamilton's  and 
Collier's  Portuguese  divisions,  ten  thousand  strong, 
marched  to  support  the  British,  but  they  did  not  reach 
the  summit  of  the  hill  until  the  battle  was  over;  they 
suffered,  however,  a  good  deal  of  loss  from  the  French 
artillery,  which,  to  cover  the  retreat,  opened  furiously 
upon  them. 

The  French  were  in  no  position  to  renew  the  attack,  the 
allies  quite  incapable  of  pursuit,  and  when  night  fell  the 
two  armies  were  in  the  same  position  they  had  occupied 
twenty-four  hours  before. 

Never  was  British  valor  more  conspicuously  displayed 
than  at  the  battle  of  Albuera.  Out  of  6,000  infantry  they 
lost  4,200  killed  and  wounded,  while  the  Spanish  and  Por- 
tuguese had  but  2,600  killed  and  wounded  out  of  a  total  of 
H^OOO  ;  the  French  loss  was  over  8,000. 

This  desperate  fight  had  lasted  but  four  hours,  but  to  aU 


212  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

engaged  it  seemed  an  age.  The  din,  the  whirl,  the  storm 
of  shot,  the  fierce  charges  of  the  cavalry,  the  swaying  back- 
wards and  forwards  of  the  fight,  the  disastrous  appearance 
of  the  battle  from  the  first,  all  combined  to  make  up  a 
perfectly  bewildering  confusion. 

The  Scudamores,  after  its  commencement,  had  seen  but 
little  of  each  other.  Whenever  one  or  other  of  them  found 
their  way  to  the  general,  who  was  ever  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fray,  it  was  but  to  remain  there  for  a  moment  or  two 
before  being  despatched  with  fresh  messages. 

Tom's  horse  was  shot  under  him  early  in  the  day,  but 
he  obtained  a  remount  from  an  orderly  and  continued  his 
duty  until,  just  as  the  day  was  won,  he  received  a  musket 
ball  in  the  shoulder.  He  half  fell,  half  dismounted,  and, 
giddy  and  faint,  lay  down  and  remained  there  until  the 
cessation  of  the  fire  told  him  that  the  battle  was  over. 
Then  he  staggered  to  his  feet  and  sought  a  surgeon.  He 
presently  found  one  hard  at  work  under  a  tree,  but  there 
was  so  large  a  number  of  wounded  men  lying  or  sitting 
round,  that  Tom  saw  that  it  would  be  hours  before  he 
could  be  attended  to.  As  he  turned  to  go  he  saw  an  officer 
of  the  staff  ride  by. 

''  Ah,  Scudamore  !  Are  you  hit  too  ?  not  very  badly,  I 
hope  ?    The  chief  was  asking  after  you  just  now." 

"  My  shoulder  is  smashed,  I  think,''  Tom  said,  ''  and  the 
doctor  has  his  hands  full  at  present ;  but  if  you  will  tie 
my  arm  tight  across  my  chest  with  my  sash,  I  shall  be  able 
to  get  on." 

The  officer  at  once  leapt  from  his  horse,  and  proceeded 
to  bind  Tom's  arm  in  the  position  he  requested. 

*'  Have  you  seen  my  brother,"  Tom  asked. 

"  No,  I  have  not ;  he  was  close  to  Beresford  when  the 
fusiliers  dashed  up  the  hill ;  his  horse  fell  dead  but  he  was 
not  hit,  for  I  saw  him  jump  up  ail  right.  I  did  not  see 
him  afterwards.  As  he  could  not  have  got  a  fresh  mount 
then,  I  expect  he  joined  the  fusiliers  and  went  up  the  hill." 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  213 

'*  Is  the  loss  heavy  ?  ''  Tom  asked. 

"  Awful — awf ul/^  the  officer  said.  ''  If  it  had  lasted 
another  quarter  of  an  hour,  there  would  have  been  nobody 
left  alive ;  as  it  is,  there  are  not  2,000  men  at  the  outside 
on  their  feet.'* 

"What,  altogether  V  Tom  exclaimed. 

''Altogether/'  the  officer  answered  sadly.  ''"We  have 
lose  two  men  out  of  every  three  who  went  into  it." 

"  Thank  you/'  Tom  said.  "  Now  where  shall  I  find  the 
general  ? '' 

"Up  on  the  hill.  I  shall  see  yon  there  in  a  few  minutes. 
I  hope  you  will  find  your  brother  all  right.'' 

Very  slowly  did  Tom  make  his  way  up  the  steep  slope, 
sitting  down  to  rest  many  times,  for  he  was  faint  from  loss 
of  blood  and  sick  with  the  pain  of  his  wound,  and  it  was  a 
long  half  hour  before  he  joined  the  group  of  officers 
clustered  round  the  commander-in-chief. 

He  was  heartily  greeted  ;  but  in  answer  to  his  question 
as  to  whether  any  one  had  seen  his  brother,  no  one  could 
give  a  satisfactory  reply.  One,  however,  was  able  to  con- 
firm what  had  been  before  told  to  him,  for  he  had  seen 
Peter  on  foot  advancing  with  the  fusilier  brigade.  Tom's 
heart  felt  very  heavy  as  he  turned  away  towards  the  front, 
where  the  fusiliers  were  standing  on  the  ground  they  had 
so  hardly  won.  The  distance  he  had  to  traverse  was  but 
short,  but  the  journey  was  a  ghastly  one.  The  ground 
was  literally  heaped  with  dead.  Wounded  men  were  seen 
sitting  up  trying  to  stanch  their  wounds,  others  lay  feebly 
groaning,  while  soldiers  were  hurrying  to  and  fro  from  the 
water  carts,  with  pannikins  of  water  to  relieve  their  agoniz- 
ing thirst. 

"  Do  you  know,  sergeant,  whether  they  have  collected 
the  wounded  officers,  and,  if  so,  where  they  are  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  most  of  them  are  there  at  the  right  flank  of 
the  regiment." 

Tom  made  his  way  towards  the  spot  indicated,  where  a 


214  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

small  group  of  officers  were  standing,  while  a  snrgeon  was 
examining  a  long  line  of  wounded  laid  side  by  side  upon 
the  ground.  Tom  hardly  breathed  as  he  ran  his  eye  along 
their  faces,  and  his  heart  seemed  to  stop  as  he  recognized  in 
the  very  one  the  surgeon  was  then  examining  the  dead- 
white  face  of  Peter. 

He  staggered  forward  and  said  in  a  gasping  voice,  '^  He 
is  my  brother — is  he  dead  ?  " 

The  surgeon  looked  up.  '^  Sit  down/'  he  said  sharply, 
and  Tom,  unable  to  resist  the  order,  sank  rather  than  sat 
down,  his  eyes  still  riveted  on  Peter's  face. 

*'  No/'  the  surgeon  said,  answering  the  question,  '^he 
has  only  fainted  from  loss  of  blood,  but  he  is  hit  hard,  the 
bullet  has  gone  in  just  above  the  hip,  and  until  I  know  its 
course  I  can't  say  whether  he  has  a  chance  or  not." 

"  Here,  sergeant,  give  me  the  probe,"  and  with  this  he 
proceeded  cautiously  to  examine  the  course  of  the  ball. 
As  he  did  so  his  anxious  face  brightened  a  little, 

*'  He  was  struck  slantingly,"  he  said,  "  the  ball  has  gone 
round  by  the  back ;  turn  him  over,  sergeant.  Ah,  I 
thought  so ;  it  has  gone  out  on  the  other  side.  Well,  I 
think  it  has  missed  any  vital  part,  and  in  that  case  I  can 
give  you  hope.  There,"  he  said  after  he  had  finished  dress- 
ing the  wound  and  fastening  a  bandage  tightly  round  the 
body  ;  *^  now  pour  some  brandy-and- water  down  his  throat, 
sergeant,  and  sprinkle  his  face  with  water.  Now,  sir,  I 
will  look  at  your  shoulder." 

But  he  spoke  to  insensible  ears,  for  Tom,  upon  liearing 
the  more  favorable  report  as  to  Peter's  state,  had  fainted 
dead  off. 

The  surgeon  glanced  at  him.  ''  He'll  come  round  all 
right,"  he  said.  ^'  I  will  go  on  in  the  mean  time,"  and  set 
to  work  at  the  next  in  the  ghastly  line. 

It  was  some  time  before  Tom  recovered  his  conscious- 
ness ;  when  he  did  so,  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  intense 
ftgony  in  the  shoulder. 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  215 

*'Lie  qniet,"  the  surgeon  said,  '^  I  shan't  be  long  about 
it/' 

It  seemed  to  Tom,  nevertheless,  as  if  an  interminable 
time  passed  before  the  surgeon  spoke  again. 

"  You'll  do,"  he  said.  '^It  is  an  awkward  shot,  for  it 
has  broken  the  shoulder  bone  and  carried  a  portion  away, 
but  with  quiet  and  care  you  will  get  the  use  of  your  arm 
again.  You  are  lucky,  for  if  it  had  gone  two  inches  to  the 
left  it  would  have  smashed  the  arm  at  the  socket,  and  two 
inches  the  other  way  and  it  would  have  been  all  up  with 
you.  Now  lie  quiet  for  awhile ;  you  can  do  nothing  for 
your  brother  at  present.  It  may  be  hours  before  he  re- 
covers consciousness.'' 

Tom  was  too  faint  and  weak  to  argue,  and  a  minute  later 
he  dropped  off  to  sleep,  from  which  he  did  not  wake  until 
it  was  dusk.  Sitting  up,  he  saw  that  he  had  been  aroused 
by  the  approach  of  an  officer,  whom  he  recognized  as  one 
of  General  Beresford's  staff. 

*'  Ho  w  are  you,  Scudamore  ?  "  he  asked.  *'  The  general 
has  just  sent  me  to  inquire." 

*'  He  is  very  kind,"  Tom  said.  '^  I  think  that  I  am  all 
right,  only  I  am  horribly  thirsty." 

The  officer  unslung  a  flask  from  his  shoulder.  '*  This  is 
weak  brandy-and-water.  I  have  brought  it  over  for  you. 
I  am  sorry  to  hear  your  brother  is  so  bad,  but  the  doctor 
gives  strong  hopes  of  him  in  his  report." 

Tom  bent  down  over  Peter.  "He  is  breathing  quietly," 
he  said.  "  I  hope  it  is  a  sort  of  sleep  he  has  fallen  into. 
What  are  we  doing  ?  " 

*' Nothing,"  the  officer  answered  ;  ''there  is  nothing  to 
do  ;  every  un wounded  man  is  under  arms  in  case  the  French 
attack  us  in  the  night.  I  expect,  however,  they  will  wait 
till  morning,  and  if  they  come  on  then,  I  fear  our  chance 
is  a  slight  one  indeed.  We  have  only  1,800  of  our  infantry  ; 
the  German  regiments  and  the  Portuguese  will  do  their 
best  y  but  the  Spanish  are  utterly  useless.     Soult  has  lost 


21(5  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

more  men  than  we  have,  but  we  are  like  a  body  which  has 
lost  its  back-bone ;  and  if  the  French,  who  are  all  good 
Boldiers,  renew  the  battle,  I  fear  it  is  all  up  with  us." 

'*  Have  you  got  all  our  wounded  in  ? ''  Tom  asked. 

"  No/'  the  officer  said  bitterly.  ''  Our  unwounded  men 
must  stand  to  arms,  and  Lord  Beresford  sent  over  to  Blake 
just  now  to  ask  for  the  assistance  of  a  battalion  of  Span- 
iards to  collect  our  wounded,  and  the  brute  sent  back  to 
say  that  it  was  the  custom  in  allied  armies  for  each  army 
to  attend  to  its  own  wounded." 

*'  The  brute  !  "  Tom  repeated  with  disgust.  "  How  the 
p«or  fellows  must  be  suffering  ! " 

''  The  men  who  are  but  slightly  wounded  have  been  tak- 
ing water  to  all  they  can  find,  and  the  doctors  are  at  work 
now,  and  will  be  all  night  going  about  dressing  wounds. 
The  worst  of  it  is,  if  the  fight  begins  again  to-morrow, 
all  the  wounded  who  cannot  crawl  away  must  remain  under 
fire.  However,  the  French  wounded  are  all  over  the  hill 
too,  and  perhaps  the  French  will  avoid  a  cannonade  as 
much  as  possible,  for  their  sake.  It  is  a  bad  look-out 
altogether  ;  and  between  ourselves,  Beresford  has  written 
to  Lord  Wellington  to  say  that  he  anticipates  a  crushing 
defeat." 

*'  Is  there  any  chance  of  reinforcements  ?"  Tom  asked. 

"  We  hope  that  the  third  brigade  of  the  fourth  division 
will  be  up  to-morrow  by  midday  ;  they  are  ordered  to  come 
on  by  forced  marches.  If  Soult  does  not  attack  till  they 
arrive,  it  will  make  all  the  difference,  for  1,500  fresh  men 
will  nearly  double  our  strength.  But  I  must  be  going  now. 
Good-bye." 

The  surgeon  presently  came  round  again  to  see  how  the 
wounded  officers  were  getting  on.  Tom  asked  him 
whether  there  was  anything  he  could  do  for  Peter ;  but 
the  surgeon,  after  feeling  his  pulse,  said  :  ^'  No,  not  as 
long  as  he  breathes  quietly  like  this  ;  but  if  he  moves  pour 
a  little  brandy-and- water  down  his  throat.    Now  gentle* 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  217 

men,  all  who  cari.  must  look  after  the  others,  for  there  is 
not  an  available  man,  and  I  must  be  at  work  all  night  on 
the  field/' 

There  were  many  of  the  officers  who  were  not  hit  too 
severely  to  move  about,  and  these  collected  some  wood  and 
made  a  fire,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  see  and  attend  to  their 
more  severely  wounded  comrades.  Tom  took  his  place  close 
to  Peter,  where  he  could  watch  his  least  movement,  and  once 
or  twice  during  the  night  poured  a  little  brandy-and-water 
between  his  lips.  The  other  officers  took  it  by  turns  to 
attend  to  their  comrades,  to  keep  up  the  fire,  and  to  sleep. 
Those  whose  turn  it  was  to  be  awake  sat  round  the  fire 
smoking,  and  talking  as  to  the  chances  of  the  morrow, 
getting  up  occasionally  to  give  drink  to  such  of  the  badly 
wounded  as  were  awake. 

Tom,  faint  with  his  wound,  found  it,  towards  morn- 
ing, impossible  to  keep  awake,  and  dozed  off,  to  wake  with 
a  start  and  find  that  it  was  broad  daylight.  Soon  after- 
wards, to  his  intense  satisfaction,  Peter  opened  his  eyes. 
Tom  bent  over  him.  ^^ Don't  try  to  move,  Peter;  lif 
qniet,  old  boy.'' 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  Peter  asked  with  a  puzzled  look. 

'^  You  have  been  hit  in  the  body,  Peter,  but  the  doctor 
means  to  get  you  round  in  no  time.  Yes,"  he  continued, 
seeing  Peter's  eyes  fixed  on  his  bandaged  shoulder,  '^  I 
have  had  a  tap  too,  but  there's  no  great  harm  done. 
There,  drink  some  brandy-and-water,  and  go  off  to  sleep 
again,  if  you  can." 

The  morning  passed  very  slowly,  the  troops  being  all 
under  arms,  expecting  the  renewed  attack  of  Soult,  but  it 
came  not ;  and  when  early  in  the  afternoon,  the  third 
brigade  of  the  fourth  division  marched  into  camp,  they 
were  received  with  general  cheering.  A  heavy  load  seemed 
taken  off  every  one's  heart,  and  they  felt  now  that  they 
could  fight,  if  fight  they  must,  with  a  hope  of  success. 

The  new-comers,  wearied  as  they  were  with  their  long 


218  TEE  TOUNG  BUGLERS, 

forced  marches,  at  once  took  the  outpost  duties,  and  those 
relieved  set  about  the  duty  of  collecting  and  bringing  in 
all  the  wounded. 

Next  morning  the  joyful  news  came  that  Soult  was  re- 
tiring, and  all  felt  with  a  thrill  of  triumph  that  their  sac- 
rifices and  efforts  had  not  been  in  vain,  and  that  the  hard- 
fought  battle  of  Albuera  was  forever  to  take  its  place 
among  the  great  victories  of  the  British  army. 


me  YOUNG  BUGimS.  219 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


INVALIDED    HOME. 


Two  days  after  the  battle  of  Albuera,  Lord  Wellington 
himself  arrived,  and  from  the  officers  of  his  staff  Tom 
heard  the  details  of  the  battle  of  Fuentes  d^Onoro,  which 
had  been  fought  a  few  days  previously,  and  which  had  been 
nearly  as  hardly  contested  as  had  Albuera  itself,  both  sides 
claiming  the  victory. 

The  next  day,  the  bulk  of  Beresford's  army  returned 
to  the  neighborhood  of  Badajos,  which  they  again  in- 
vested, while  a  long  convoy  of  wounded  started  for  Lisbon. 
The  Scudamores  accompanied  it  as  far  as  Campo  Major, 
where  a  large  hospital  had  been  prepared  for  those  too  ill 
to  bear  the  journey.  Peter  was  still  unconscious.  Fever 
had  set  in  upon  the  day  after  the  battle,  and  for  three 
weeks  he  lay  between  life  and  death.  Tom's  arm  was 
mending  very  slowly,  and  he  would  have  had  hard  work 
indeed  in  nursing  Peter  had  it  not  been  for  the  arrival  of 
unexpected  assistance.  A  large  villa  had  been  taken  close 
to  the  main  hospital  for  the  use  of  officers,  and  one  of  the 
rooms  was  allotted  to  the  Scudamores. 

Upon  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after  their  arrival, 
Tom  was  sitting  by  Peter's  bedside,  when,  after  a  prelim- 
inary tap,  the  door  opened,  and  to  Tom's  perfect  amaze- 
ment Sambo  entered.  The  negro  hurried  forward,  threw 
himself  on  his  knees,  seized  Tom's  hand  and  kissed  it 
passionately,  and  then  looking  at  the  thin  and  fever- 
flushed  face  of  Peter,  he  hid  his  face  in  his  hands  and 
Bobbed  unrestrainedly. 


220  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEBB.  ^ 

''  Hnsh,  Sam,  hush/'  Tom  said  soothingly.  "  Mj  poor 
fellow,  why,  where  have  you  come  from  ?  I  thought  you 
were  a  prisoner  with  the  French." 

"  I  knew  how  it  would  be,  Massa  Tom,''  the  black  said, 
paying  no  attention  to  the  questions.  "  First  thing  Sam 
said  to  himself  when  he  got  among  French  fellows,  'Dere^ 
dose  young  gentlemen  dey  get  into  all  sorts  of  danger 
widout  Sam,  sartin  sure  dey  get  hurt  widout  Sam  to  look 
after  dem/  Dat  idea  troubled  Sam  berry  much,  took 
away  Sam's  sleep  altogether." 

*'  Well  it  turned  out  so,  as  you  see,  Sam,"  Tom  said 
with  a  smile,  '*  but  tell  me  how  did  you  get  away  ? 
But  first  give  me  some  lemonade  out  of  that  jug,  then  you 
can  tell  me  all  about  it." 

"  Why,  Massa  Tom,"  Sam  said,  when  he  had  complied 
with  the  request,  "  you  didn't  think  dat  dis  chile  was  go- 
ing to  stop  prisoner  with  dose  French  chaps  ;  Sam  not  such 
a  fool  as  dat,  nohow.  When  dat  cussed  mule — I  tell  you 
fair,  Massa  Tom,  dis  chile  conclude  dat  riding  not  such  a 
berry  easy  ting  after  all — when  dat  cussed  mule  ran  into 
French  camp,  de  soldiers  dey  catch  him,  and  dey  take  Sam 
off,  and  den  dey  jabber  and  laugh  for  all  de  world  like 
great  lots  of  monkeys.  Well,  for  some  time  Sam  he  didn't 
eay  nothing,  all  de  wind  shook  out  of  his  body.  Besides 
which  he  couldn't  understand  what  dey  say.  Den  all  of  a 
sudden,  to  Sam's  surprise,  up  came  a  colored  soldier,  and 
he  speak  to  Sam  in  de  English  tongue.  '  Holla,  broder, 
how  you  come  here  ? "  I  ask.  '  I  been  cook  on  board 
English  merchant  ship,'  he  say.  '  Ship  she  taken  by 
French  privateer.  When  dey  come  to  port  dey  say  to  me, 
*'  You  not  Englishman,  you  hab  choice,  you  go  to  prison, 
or  you  be  French  soldier."  Natural,  I  not  want  go  prison, 
10  I  conclude  be  French  soldier.  I  daresay  dey  gib  you 
choice  too.'  Well,  massa,  a  wink  as  good  as  a  nod  to  blind 
hoss.  So  dey  take  me  to  tent,  put  me  under  guard,  and 
next  day  a  French  officer  come  dat  speak  English.     He  ask 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  221 

Hie  all  sorts  ob  questions,  and  at  last  he  ask  me  why  I  list 
English  soldier.  So  you  see  I  had  got  a  little  lie  all  ready, 
and  me  tell  him,  me  one  poor  Melican  negro  man,  cook 
on  board  Melican  ship.  Ship  taken  by  English  man-ob- 
war.  Put  Sam  in  prison  and  give  him  choice  to  go  as 
soldier.  ^'Den  you  not  care  about  English,'  de  officer 
say,  and  Sam  draw  hisself  up  and  pat  his  chest  and  say, 
*Me  Melican  citizen,  me  no  Britisher's  slave,  some  day 
me  go  back  States,  go  on  board  Melican  man-ob-war,  me 
pay  out  dese  Britishers  for  make  Sam  slave.'  Den  de 
officer  laugh,  and  say  dat  if  I  like  I  could  fight  dem  now  ; 
and  if  I  prefer  French  uniform  to  French  prison,  me  could 
have  him.  Ob  course  I  accep'  offer,  and  harp  an  hour 
after  me  in  French  uniform.  French  officer  try  to  make 
joke  ob  Sam,  and  ask  whether  I  like  cavalry  or  foot  soldier. 
Sam  say  he  had  enuff  of  quadruples  at  present.  Me  remain 
French  soldier  three  weeks,  den  cum  great  battle,  dey  call 
him  Fuentes  donory.  Sam's  regiment  fight.  Sam  not 
like  fire  at  red  coats,  so  break  bullet  off  catridge,  neber  put 
him  in  gun.  We  charge  right  into  middle  of  village  full 
of  English  soldiers,  de  bullets  fiy  all  about.  Sam  not  see 
de  point  ob  getting  kill  by  mistake,  so  he  tumble  down, 
pretend  to  be  dead.  Presently  French  beaten  back ;  when 
English  soldier  wid  dactor  cum  look  at  wounded,  dey  turn 
Sam  ober,  and  dey  say,  ^  Hullo,  here  dead  nigger.'  '  Nig- 
ger yourself,  John  Atkins,'  I  say  for  sure  ennff  it's  de  ole 
regiment — '  you  say  dat  once  again  me  knock  your  head 
off  ; '  me  jump  up,  and  all  de  world  call  out,  '  Hullo,  why 
it's  Sam.'  Den  me  splain  matter,  and  all  berry  glad,  cept 
John  Atkins,  and  next  morning  me  gib  him  licking  he 
member  all  his  life,  me  pound  him  most  to  a  squash. 
Four  days  ago  colonel  send  for  Sam,  say,  *  Sam,  berry  bad 
job,  bof e  Massas  wounded  bad,  send  you  to  nurse  dem ; ' 
so  dis  chile  come.  Dat  all,  Massa  Tom,  Here  letter  for 
you  from  colonel,  now  you  read  dis  letter,  den  you  get  in 
bed,  you  gleep  all  night,  Sam  watch  Massa  P^ter." 


222  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

Greatly  relieved  to  have  his  faithful  servant  again,  and 
to  know  that  Peter  would  be  well  cared  for,  instead  of 
being  left  in  charge  of  the  Spanish  hospital  orderly,  when- 
ever weakness  and  pain  obliged  him  to  lie  down,  Tom 
abandoned  his  place  by  the  bedside,  and  prepared  for  a 
tranquil  night's  rest,  first  reading  the  colonel's  letter. 

"  We  are  all  grieved,  my  dear  Scndamore,  at  hearing 
that  you  are  both  wounded,  and  that  your  brother  is  at 
present  in  a  serious  state.  We  trust,  however,  that  he 
will  pull  through.  I  hear  that  Beresford  has  praised  you 
both  most  highly  in  despatches,  and  that  your  names  are 
sent  home  for  companies.  I  heartily  congratulate  you. 
We  have  had  some  tough  work  at  Fuentes  d'Onoro,  al- 
though nothing  to  what  yours  must  have  been  at  Albuera, 
still  it  was  hot  enough  in  all  conscience,  and  w^e  had  over 
a  hundred  casualties  in  the  regiment.  Carruthers  and 
Manley  were  both  slightly  wounded.  Jones,  Anstruther, 
Palmer,  and  Chambers  were  killed,  and  several  of  the 
others  hit  more  or  less  hard.  Sam  has  leave  to  remain 
with  you  until  you  rejoin,  which  will  not,  I  fear,  be  for 
some  little  time.  Every  one  sends  kind  messages.  Yours 
truly,  J.  Tritton.'' 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  care  and  devotion  with  which 
Sam  nursed  his  two  masters,  and  Tom  had  the  greatest 
difficulty  in  persuading  him  to  lie  down  and  get  a  short 
sleep  each  day  while  he  sat  by  Peter's  bed.  At  the  end  of 
three  weeks  Peter  took  a  favorable  turn.  His  fever 
abated,  and  he  awoke  to  consciousness.  Another  fortnight 
and  he  was  sufficiently  convalescent  to  be  moved,  and 
accordingly  they  started  to  travel  by  very  easy  stages  to 
Lisbon,  there  to  take  ship  for  England,  as  the  doctor 
ordered  Tom  as  well  as  his  brother  to  go  home  for  a  while 
to  recruit,  Tom  was  the  less  reluctant  to  do  so,  as  it  was 
evident  that  with  the  force  at  his  command  Wellington 
would  not  be  able  to  undertake  any  great  operation,  and 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  ^23 

that  the  siege  and  capture  of  Badajoz  was  the  utmost 
likely  to  be  accomplished  in  that  season's  campaign.  The 
mails  in  due  course  had  brought  out  the  Gazette,  and  in  it 
Tom  and  Peter  Scudamore  were  promoted  to  be  captains, 
unattached. 

Colonel  Tritton,  upon  being  applied  to,  readily  gave 
leave  for  Sam  to  accompany  his  masters.  It  was  a  long 
journey  to  Lisbon,  but  the  jolting  of  the  country  cart  was 
made  bearable  by  a  layer  of  hay,  two  feet  deep,  upon  which 
the  mattresses  were  laid,  Sam  seeing  that  at  each  night's 
halt  the  hay  was  taken  out,  well  shaken,  and  then  returned 
to  the  cart,  so  as  to  preserve  it  light  and  elastic.  A  thick 
canopy  of  boughs  kept  off  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  under 
is,  within  reach  of  the  invalids  hung  a  gourd  of  fresh  water, 
and  a  basket  of  fruit.  Several  other  cart-loads  of  wounded 
officers  accompanied  them,  and  at  night  they  would  draw  up 
by  a  grove  of  trees  where  water  was  handy,  those  who  could 
walk  would  get  out,  the  others  would  be  lifted  out  on  their 
mattresses,  a  great  fire  made,  and  round  it  the  beds  laid  in 
a  circle,  and  then  the  evening  would  be  spent  in  pleasant 
chat,  with  many  an  anecdote  and  an  occasional  song,  until 
the  fire  burnt  low,  the  talk  died  away,  and  each,  covered 
in  his  blankets  to  keep  off  the  night  dew,  fell  asleep. 
Pleasant  as  was  the  journey,  however,  it  was  with  a  thrill 
of  delight  that  they  caught  their  first  sight  of  Lisbon,  with 
its  broad  river,  and  the  blue  line  of  the  sea  beyond.  A  few 
days  later,  and  they  embarked  on  board  a  transport,  which 
seven  days  afterwards,  after  a  calm  passage,  arrived  at 
Spithead. 

Peter  was  by  this  time  gaining  strength  fast,  but  his  back 
was  so  stiff  and  sore  that  he  was  unable  to  move  it,  and 
was  obliged  to  swing  himself  along  on  crutches.  The  next 
day  the  coach  took  them  to  London,  and  they  started  the 
morning  after  for  Marlborough.  This  time  they  had  to  go 
inside  the  coach,  two  gentlemen,  who  had  previously  secured 
the  seats,  kindly  giving  them  up  in  favor  of  the  wounded 


224  THE  YOUNG  BUGLSRS. 

young  officers,  while  Sam  took  his  place  on  the  roof,  and 
amused  his  fellow-passengers  with  wonderful  accounts  of 
his  adventures  at  the  war.  At  the  inn  at  which  they  took 
dinner,  they  alighted,  and  Tom  recognized  in  the  driver 
the  same  coachman  who  had  driven  them  upon  the  memor- 
able occasion  of  their  being  stopped  by  highwaymen  three 
years  before.  "  You  don't  remember  us,  coachman,  do 
you?'' 

^'No,  gentlemen,  I  can't  say  as  how, — but  eh  !  no,  why 
you're  the  werry  boys  as  shot  the  highwaymen.  Well,  1 
am  glad  to  see  you  again,  tnough  you  do  look  white  and 
bad,  both  of  you.  I  heard  as  how  there  were  two  wounded 
officers  inside,  and  that  black  soldier  has  been  telling  all 
Borts  of  tales  of  the  wonderful  things  as  his  masters  had 
done,  but  not  knowing  as  how  it  was  you,  I  didn't  much 
believe  all  he  was  telling.  Now  I  quite  see  as  how  it  was 
true  ;  and  how  are  you  both  ?  " 

"  Getting  on  all  right,"  Tom  said,  returning  the  warm 
shake  of  the  coachman's  hand,  '^  and  do  you  know,  those 
pistols  have  saved  our  lives  more  than  once." 

*'  Have  they  now,"  the  coachman  said,  in  high  admira- 
tion, '^  but  there,  we  must  be  moving,  we  are  three  minutes 
after  time  as  it  is  ;  I  shall  see  you  again  next  time  we  stop, 
gentlemen." 

During  the  next  stage  the  coachman  and  guard  recounted 
to  the  outside  passengers  the  affair  of  the  stopping  the 
coach,  and  Sam's  black  face  shone  with  delight  at  the 
tale.  Then  he  had  his  say,  and  related  the  story  of  his 
falling  overboard  and  being  rescued,  and  in  consequence 
the  lads  were  quite  embarrassed  when  they  next  halted,  by 
the  attention  of  their  fellow-travelers,  who  could  scarcely 
understand  how  it  was  possible  that  two  mere  boys  should 
have  performed  such  feats  of  bravery. 

Arrived  at  Marlborough  they  looked  round  in  vain  for 
the  one-horsed  vehicle  which  had  before  met  them.  ''I 
expect  that  aunt  has  not  got  our  letter,  Peter,"  Tom  said. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLETtS.  225 

•*  It  wonlfl  probably  go  up  to  town  in  tlie  coacli  with  ns, 
and  is  likely  enough  in  the  letter-bag  in  the  boot.  AVell, 
we  must  have  a  post-chaise.  Won^t  aunt  and  Rhoda  be 
surprised  ;  but  they  must  be  expecting  us,  because  they 
will  have  had  our  letter  from  Lisbon.". 

The  horses  were  soon  in,  Sam  took  his  seat  in  the  rumble, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were  bounding  over  the  road  at 
a  very  different  pace  to  that  at  which  they  had  before  trav- 
ersed it.  '^  There's  the  house  among  the  trees/''  Peter 
said  at  last,  "  with  aunt's  pigeons  on  the  roof  as  usual,  and 
there's  Minnie  asleep  on  the  window-sill,  and  there  !  yes, 
there's  Rhoda." 

As  he  spoke  a  girl,  who  was  sitting  reading  under  a  tree, 
leapt  to  her  feet,  on  hearing  a  carriage  stop,  and  then, 
catching  sight  of  Peter  waving  his  hat,  while  Tom  made 
frantic  efforts  to  open  the  door,  gave  a  scream  of  delight, 
and  rushed  towards  them,  threw  her  arms  round  Tom's 
neck  as  he  jumped  out,  and  then  leapt  into  the  chaise  and 
hugged  and  cried  over  Peter.  He  was  soon  helped  out, 
and  as  they  turned  to  go  towards  the  house  they  saw  their 
aunt  coming  out  to  meet  them. 

Tom  ran  forward  and  throwing  his  arms  round  her  neck 
kissed  her  heartil}^  and  before  she  could  recover  from  her 
surprise,  Peter  was  alongside.  "  Please,  aunt,  you  must 
kiss' me,"  he  said,  ''  for  I  want  my  arms  for  my  crutches." 
His  aunt  leaned  forward  and  kissed  him,  and  then  wiped 
the  tears  from  her  eyes. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  back,  my  dear  nephews,"  she  said.  ■ 
"  We  did  not  understand  each  other  very  well  before,  but 
we  shan't  make  any  more  mistakes.  This  is  your  black 
servant,  I  suppose,"  she  said,  as  Sam  came  along,  with  a 
trunk  in  each  hand.  *'  Dear  !  dear !  what  a  dreadfully 
ugly  man." 

''  How  do  you  do,  Sam  ?"  Rhoda  said,  when  he  came  up. 
'*  We  have  heard  so  much  of  you,  and  how  kindly  you 
Dursed  my  brothers," 


226  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

'^  Sam  quite  well,  tank  you,  little  missy,'*  Sam  said, 
grinning  all  over  his  face  and  showing  his  white  teeth. 

Miss  Scudamore  shrank  towards  Tom  as  Sam  passed 
on,  '^Dear  me,  what  sharp-looking  teeth  he  has,  Tom. 
They  don't  eat  curious  things,  these  black  men,  do 
they?" 

"  What  sort  of  curious  things,  aunt  ?" 

*'  Well,  my  dear,  I  know  tliat  these  outlandish  people  do 
eat  strange  things,  and  I  have  heard  the  Chinese  eat  dogs 
and  cats.  Now,  if  he  has  a  fancy  for  cats,  I  daresay  I  could 
buy  him  some  in  the  village,  only  he  will  have  to  cook  them 
himself,  I  could  never  ask  Hannah  to  cook  cats  ;  but  please 
ask  him  not  to  touch  Minnie." 

Peter  had  to  stop  in  his  walk  and  grasp  his  crutches 
tightly,  not  to  burst  into  a  scream  of  laughter,  while  Tom 
answered  with  great  gravity,  **  My  dear  aunt,  do  not  alarm 
yourself,  I  will  answer  for  the  safety  of  Minnie  as  far  as 
Sam  is  concerned." 

When  they  reached  the  house.  Miss  Scudamore  said — 

'*  I  think  you  young  people  will  enjoy  yourselves  more  if 
you  go  and  sit  under  the  shade  of  the  elm  there,  you  will 
have  a  deal  to  say  to  each  other,  and  had  better  be  alone." 
They  were  all  glad  at  the  suggestion,  as  they  were  longing 
to  be  alone  together. 

Sam,  by  Miss  Scudamore's  directions,  carried  out  a  great 
easy  chair,  of  which  Peter  took  possession.  Rhoda  sat  on 
the  grass  at  his  feet,  and  Tom  threw  himself  down  at  full 
length.  They  were  all  too  happy  to  speak  much  for  a  time, 
and  could  only  loek  fondly  at  each  other.  *'  You  have 
grown  a  gr^at  deal,  Rhoda,  but  I  do  not  think  that  you 
are  altered  a  bit  otherwise." 

"  You  are  neither  of  you  altered  so  much  as  I  expected,'* 
Rhoda  said.  ^^  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  you  would  be 
changed  a  great  deal.  It  sounds  so  gTand — Captains,  in- 
deed !  I  expected  to  have  curtsey  to  you  and  treat  you 
with  great  respect ;  instead  of  that  you  look  regular  boys. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  227 

both  of  you.     Of  course  you  are  big,  and  Peter  looks  very 
tall ;  how  tall  are  you,  Peter  ?  " 

'^  Just  over  six  feet,"  Peter  said. 

'*  Yes,"  Rhoda  said,  '^you  are  tall  enough,  and  Tom  is 
broad  enough  for  men,  but  somehow  you  look  regular  boys 
still." 

*'  This  is  very  disrespectful  Rhoda,  to  two  Captains  in 
His  Majesty^s  service." 

*^  It  seems  ridiculous,  doesn't  it,"  Rhoda  said. 

''  It  does,"  Tom  said  heartily,  and  the  three  went  off 
into  a  shout  of  laughter. 

'*  It  isn't  really  ridiculous  you  know,"  Rhoda  said,  when 
they  had  recovered  their  gravity.  '^  To  think  of  all  the 
dangers  you  have  gone  through.  Aunt  was  as  proud  as 
could  be  when  she  saw  your  names  over  and  over  again  in 
despatches,  and  I  have  been  like  a  little  peacock.  Your 
doings  have  been  the  talk  of  every  one  round  here,  and  I 
am  sure  that  if  they  had  known  you  had  been  coming,  the 
village  would  have  put  up  a  triumphal  arch,  and  presented 
you  with  an  address." 

''Thank  goodness,  they  did  not  know  it  then,"  Tom 
said,  "  for  it  would  have  been  a  deal  worse  to  stand  than 
the  fire  of  a  French  battery.  Well,  Rhoda,  and  now  as  to 
yourself  ;  so  you  have  really  been  always  very  happy  with 
aunt  ?" 

''  Very  happy,"  Rhoda  said  ;  "she  is  most  kind  and  in- 
dulgent, and  so  that  I  attend  to  her  little  fancies,  I  can  do 
just  as  I  like.  I  have  had  lessons  regularly  from  the  rec- 
tor^s  eldest  daughter,  who  has  been  educated  for  a  gover- 
ness ;  and  in  every  respect,  aunt  is  all  that  is  kind. 
Fancy  her  being  afraid  of  Sam  eating  Minnie." 

After  chatting  for  upwards  of  an  hour,  they  went  into 
the  house,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  talking 
over  all  that  had  happened  since  they  left.  Sam  was  in 
the  kitchen  where  he  made  himself  very  much  at  home, 
and  although  Hannah  and  the  cook  were  at  first  rather 


228  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

awed  by  his  size,  his  black  face  and  rolling  eyes,  they  were 
soon  pacified  by  his  good  hnmor  and  readiness  to  make 
himself  useful,  and  were  wonderfully  interested  by  his 
long  stories  about  what  ''  Massas  "  had  done  in  the  war. 

Miss  Scudamore,  who  was  a  little  uneasy  as  to  how 
things  would  go  on  in  the  kitchen,  made  some  excuse  for 
going  in  once  or  twice  in  the  course  of  the  evening.  She 
found  things  going  on  much  better  that  she  had  expected, 
indeed  so  much  better,  that  after  Ehoda  had  gone  up  tff 
bed,  where  Peter  had  two  hours  before  betaken  himself, 
she  said  to  Tom  as  he  was  lighting  his  candle,  '^  One 
minute,  nephew  ;  I  could  not  speak  before  Ehoda,  but  I 
wanted  to  say  something  to  you  about  your  negro.  I  have 
heard  that  all  soldiers  are  very  much  given  to  make  love, 
and  we  know  from  Shakespeare,  that  Othello,  who  was 
black  too,  you  will  remember,  nephew,  made  love  to  Des- 
demona,  which  shows  that  color  does  not  make  so  much 
difference  as  one  would  think.  Now  I  do  hope  your  man  > 
will  not  make  love  to  Hannah,  I  don't  think  she  would 
like  it,  my  dear,  and  yet  you  know  she  might  ;  one  never 
knows  what  women  will  do  ;  they  are  always  making  fools 
of  themselves,"  she  added  angrily,  thinking  at  the  moment 
how  a  young  girl  she  had  trained  up  as  a  cook  had,  after 
being  with  her  three  years,  left  a  few  weeks  before  to 
marry  the  village  blacksmith,  '^  and  I  should  be  sorry  to 
lose  Hannah.  She  has  been  with  us  more  than  twenty 
years.  If  he  must  fall  in  love  with  one,  my  dear,  let  it  be 
the  cook." 

Tom  had  a  great  command  of  his  countenance,  but  he 
had  great  difficulty  in  steadying  his  muscles.  After  a 
moment  or  two  he  said,  ''  I  will  give  Sam  a  hint,  aunt,  if 
it  becomes  necessary,  but  I  do  not  think  you  need  fear.  I 
do  not  fancy  Sam  is  matrimonially  inclined  at  present,  and 
he  wouldn't  leave  us  even  to  marry  Desdemona  herself. 
Good  night,  aunt." 

So  saying,  Tom  went  upstairs,  where  he   repeated  to 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  229 

Peter,  who  was  still  awake,  his  conversation  with  his  aunt, 
and  the  two  went  into  shouts  of  laughter  over  the  idea  of 
Sam  making  love  to  the  prim  Hannah. 

The  next  six  months  passed  over  quietly  and  happily. 
The  boys  were  made  a  great  deal  of  by  the  whole  county, 
and  Miss  Scudamore  was  greatly  gratified  at  the  name  and 
credit  they  had  gained  for  themselves.  She  no  longer 
worried  about  them,  but  as  Ehoda  declared,  quite  spoiled 
them,  and  as  Sam  made  no  attempt  to  win  the  love  of  the 
faithful  Hannah,  there  was  no  cloud  to  mar  the  pleasure 
of  the  holiday. 


280  STE-S  YOUNG  BUGLEBS, 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CIUDAD    RODRIGO    AND    BADAJOS. 

It  was  in  the  beginning  of  December,  1811,  that  tho 
Scndamores  again  sailed  up  the  Tagus  to  Lisbon,  after  an 
absence  of  just  six  months.  When  they  had  passed  the 
medical  board,  they  were  transferred  from  the  unattached 
list  to  the  52d  Regiment,  which  was,  fortunately  for  them, 
also  in  Spain.  'No  events  of  great  importance  had  taken 
place  during  their  absence.  Wellington,  after  the  battles 
of  Fuentes  d'Onoro  and  Albuera,  had  been  compelled  to 
fall  back  again  to  the  frontier  in  the  face  of  greatly 
superior  forces,  and  had  maintained  his  old  position  on 
the  Coa  till  the  approach  of  winter  compelled  the  French 
to  retire  into  the  interior,  where  they  had  their  magazines 
and  depots. 

The  Scudamores  found  that  the  52d  were  encamped  on 
the  Agueda,  and  they  at  once  prepared  to  go  up  country 
to  join  them.  Their  chargers — presents  from  their  aunt 
on  leaving — were  fresh  and  vigorous,  and  they  purchased 
a  strong  country  horse  for  Sambo,  who,  thanks  to  some 
practice  which  he  had  had  in  England,  was  now  able  to 
cut  a  respectable  figure  on  horseback.  A  few  hours  were 
sufficient  to  make  their  preparations,  and  at  noon  on  the 
day  after  landing,  they  mounted,  and,  followed  by  Sam, 
accompanied  by  a  muleteer  and  two  mules  carrying  their 
baggage,  they  started  from  the  hotel  at  which  they  had 
put  up. 

As  they  rode  down  the  main  street  they  saw  several 
mpunted  officers  approaching,  and  at  once  recognized  ia 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  231 

the  leader  the  commander-in-chief,  who  had  just  arrived 
from  the  front  to  pay  one  of  his  flying  visits,  to  endeavor 
to  allay  the  jealousies  in  the  Portuguese  Council,  and  to 
insist  upon  the  food  which  the  British  Government  was 
actually  paying  for,  being  supplied  to  the  starving  Portu- 
guese soldiers.  Drawing  their  horses  aside,  they  saluted 
Lord  Wellington  as  he  rode  past.  He  glanced  at  them 
keenly,  as  was  his  custom,  and  evidently  recognized  them 
as  he  returned  the  salute. 

When  he  had  passed,  they  turned  their  horses  and  con- 
tinued their  way.  They  had  not  gone  fifty  yards,  how- 
ever, when  an  officer  came  up  at  a  gallop.  Lord  Welling- 
ton wished  them  to  call  at  his  quarters  in  an  hour's  time. 

There  are  few  things  more  annoying  than,  after  having 
got  through  all  the  trouble  of  packing»and  getting  fairly 
on  the  road,  to  be  stopped  ;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it, 
and  the  boys  rode  back  to  their  hotel  again,  where,  put- 
ting up  their  horses,  they  told  Sam  not  to  let  the  muleteer 
leave,  for  they  should  probably  be  on  the  road  again  in  an 
hour. 

At  the  appointed  time  they  called  at  the  head-quarters, 
and  giving  their  cards  to  two  officers  on  duty,  took  their 
seats  in  the  anteroom.  It  now  became  evident  to  them 
that  their  chance  of  an  early  interview  was  not  great,  and 
that  they  would  in  all  probability  be  obliged  to  pass  an- 
other night  in  Madrid.  Portuguese  grandees  passed  in  and 
out,  staff  officers  of  rank  entered  and  left,  important  busi-  ^ 
ness  was  being  transacted,  and  the  chance  of  two  Line  cap- 
tains having  an  interview  with  the  commander-in-chief 
appeared  but  slight.  Two  hours  passed  wearily,  and  then 
an  orderly  sergeant  came  into  the  room  and  read  out  from 
a  slip  of  paper  the  names  ''  Captain  Thomas  Scudamore  ; 
Captain  Peter  Scudamore.  This  way,  if  you  please,''  he 
added,  as  the  boys  rose  in  answer  to  their  names,  and  he 
led  the  way  into  a  room  where  a  colonel  on  the  staff  was 
seated  before  a  table  covered  with  papers. 


232  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEB8. 

"  Gentlemen/'  he  said,  ''  I  have  news  which  I  think  will 
be  pleasant  to  you  both.  Lord  Wellington  has  not  for- 
gotten the  services  you  rendered  in  carrying  his  communi- 
cations to  the  guerilla  chiefs.  Your  reports  were  clear 
and  concise,  and  your  knowledge  of  Spanish  especially 
valuable.  Lord  Beresf ord^  too,  has  reported  most  favorably 
of  your  conduct  while  with  him.  There  happen  to  be  two 
vacancies  on  his  staff,  and  he  has  desired  me  to  fill  them 
up  with  your  names.'' 

Although  the  Scudamores  would  in  somo  respects  rather 
have  remained  with  their  regiment,  yet  they  could  not  re- 
fuse an  honor  which  was  generally  coveted  as  being  a  post 
in  which  an  active  officer  had  plenty  of  opportunities  of 
distinguishing  himself,  and  which  was  certain  to  lead  to 
speedy  promotion.  They  accordingly  expressed  their 
warm  thanks  for  the  honor  which  Lord  Wellington  had 
done  them. 

"  Are  you  well  mounted  ?  "  Colonel  Somerset  asked. 

'^  We  have  one  capital  charger  each,''  Tom  said. 

''You  will  want  another,"  Colonel  Somerset  remarked. 
"  There  are  a  lot  of  remounts  landed  to-day.  Here  is  an 
order  to  Captain  Halket,  the  officer  in  charge.  Choose 
any  two  you  like.  The  amount  can  be  stopped  from  your 
pay.  How  about  servants ;  you  are  entitled  to  two 
each?" 

''We  have  one  man  of  the  Norfolk  Eangers — a  very 
faithful  fellow,  who  has  returned  with  us  from  leave ;  if 
he  could  be  transferred,  he  would  do  for  us  both  if  we  had 
a  cavalry  man  each  for  our  horses." 

The  colonel  at  once  wrote  an  order  for  Sam's  transfer 
from  his  regiment  on  detached  service,  and  also  one  to  the 
officer  commanding  a  cavalry  regiment  stationed  in  Mad- 
rid, to  supply  them  with  two  troopers  as  orderlies. 

"  May  I  ask,  sir,  if  we  are  likely  to  stay  in  Madrid  long 
•—as,  if  so,  we  will  look  out  for  quarters  ?  "  Tom  asked. 

*'  No ;  the  general  returns  to-morrow,  or  next  day  at 


TME  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  233 

latest,  to  Almeida,  and  of  course  you  will  accompany  him. 
Oh,  by-the-by,  Lord  Wellington  will  be  glad  if  you  will  dine 
with  him  to-day — sharp  six.  By-the-way,  you  will  want 
to  get  staff  uniform.  There  is  the  address  of  a  Spanish 
tailor,  who  has  fitted  out  most  of  the  men  who  have  been 
appointed  here.  He  works  fast,  and  will  get  most  of  the 
things  you  want  ready  by  to-morrow  night.  Don't  get 
more  things  than  are  absolutely  necessary — merely  undress 
suits.  Excuse  my  asking  how  are  you  off  for  money  ?  I 
will  give  you  an  order  on  the  paymaster  if  you  like."'^ 

Tom  replied  that  they  had  plenty  of  money,  which  in- 
deed they  had,  for  their  aunt  had  given  them  so  handsom© 
a  present  upon  starting,  that  they  had  tried  to  persuade 
her  to  be  less  generous,  urging  that  they  really  had  no  oc- 
casion for  any  money  beyond  their  pay.  She  had  insisted, 
however,  upon  their  accepting  two  checks,  saying  that 
one  never  knew  what  was  wanted,  and  it  was  always  use- 
ful to  have  a  sum  to  fall  back  on  in  case  of  need. 

Two  days  later  the  Scudamores,  in  their  new  staff  uni- 
forms, were,  with  some  six  or  eight  other  officers,  riding  in 
the  suite  of  Lord  Wellington  on  the  road  to  the  Coa.  The 
lads  thought  they  had  never  had  a  more  pleasant  time,  the 
weather  was  fine  and  the  temperature  delightful,  their 
companions,  all  older  somewhat  than  themselves,  were 
yet  all  young  men  in  high  health  and  spirits.  The  pace 
was  good,  for  Lord  Wellington  was  a  hard  rider,  and  time 
was  always  precious  with  him.  At  the  halting-places  the 
senior  officers  of  the  staff  kept  together,  while  the  aides- 
de-camp  made  up  a  mess  of  their  own,  always  choosing  a 
place  as  far  away  as  possible  from  that  of  the  chief,  so  that 
they  could  laugh,  joke,  and  even  sing,  without  fear  of  dis- 
turbing his  lordship. 

Sam  soon  became  a  high  favorite  with  the  light-hearted 
young  fellows,  and  his  services  as  forager  for  the  mese  were 
in  high  esteem. 

Three  days  of  hard  riding  took  them  to  Almeida,  whera 


g84  TEE  Youm  BUGimta 

the  breaches  caused  by  the  great  explosion  had  been  re- 
paired, and  the  place  put  into  a  defeosible  position.  Tom 
pjid  Peter  had  been  afraid  that  there  would  be  at  least  four 
months  of  enforced  inactivity  before  the  spring  ;  but  they 
soon  found  that  the  post  of  aide-de-camp  to  Wellington 
was  no  sinecure.  For  the  next  month  they  almost  lived 
in  the  saddle.  The  greater  portion  of  the  English  army 
was  indeed  lying  on  the  Agueda,  but  there  were  detached 
bodies  of  British  and  large  numbers  of  Portuguese  troops 
at  various  points  along  the  whole  line  of  the  Portuguese 
frontier,  and  with  the  commanders  of  these  Lord  Welling- 
ton was  in  constant  communication. 

Towards  the  end  of  December  some  large  convoys  of 
heavy  artillery  arrived  at  Almeida,  but  every  one  supposed 
that  they  were  intended  to  fortify  this  place,  and  none, 
even  of  those  most  in  tlie  confidence  of  the  commander-in- 
chief,  had  any  idea  that  a  winter  campaign  was  about  to 
commence.  The  French  were  equally  unsuspicious  of  the 
truth.  Twice  as  strong  as  the  British,  they  dreamt  not 
that  the  latter  would  take  the  offensive,  and  the  French 
marshals  had  scattered  their  troops  at  considerable  dis- 
tances from  the  frontier  in  winter  quarters. 

Upon  the  last  day  of  the  year  the  Scudamores  both  hap- 
pened to  have  returned  to  the  front — Tom  from  Lisbon, 
and  Peter  from  a  long  ride  to  a  distant  Portuguese  divi- 
sion. There  was  a  merry  party  gathered  round  a  blazing 
fire  in  the  yard  of  the  house  where  they,  with  several  other 
aides-de-camp,  were  quartered.  Some  fifty  officers  of  all 
ranks  were  present,  for  a  general  invitation  had  been  issued 
to  all  unattached  officers  in  honor  of  the  occasion.  Each 
brought  in  what  liquor  he  could  get  hold  of,  and  any  pro- 
visions which  he  had  been  able  to  procure,  and  the  even- 
ing was  one  of  boisterous  fun  and  jollity.  In  the  great 
kitchen  blazed  a  fire,  before  which  chickens  and  ducks  were 
roasting,  turkeys  and  geese  cut  up  in  pieces  for  greater 
rapidity  of  cooking,  were  grilling  over  the  fire,  and  as  they 


K  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  ^35 

came  o^  tlie  gridiron  they  were  taken  round  by  the  soldier- 
servants  to  their  masters  as  they  sat  about  on  logs  of  wood, 
boxes,  and  other  substitutes  for  chairs.  Most  of  the  of- 
ficers present  had  already  supped,  and  the  late-comers  were 
finishing  their  frugal  meal,  after  which  the  soldiers  would 
take  their  turn.  There  was  a  brewing  of  punch  and  an 
uncorking  of  many  a  bottle  of  generous  wine  ;  then  the 
song  and  laugh  went  round,  and  all  prepared  to  usher  ia 
the  new  year  joyously,  when  a  colonel  of  the  staff,  who 
had  been  dining  with  Lord  Wellington,  entered.  *'  Here's 
a  seat,  colonel,^'  was  shotted  in  a  dozen  places,  but  ho 
shook  his  head  and  held  up  his  hand. 

'^  Gentlemen,  I  am  sorry  to  disturb  you,  but  orders  must 
be  obeyed.  Villiers,  Hogan,  Scudamores  both,  Esdaile, 
Cooper,  and  Johnson,  here  are  despatches  which  have  to 
be  taken  off  at  once.  Gentlemen,  I  should  recommend 
you  all  to  look  to  your  horses.  All  attached  to  the  trans- 
port  had  better  go  to  their  head-quarters  for  orders.'* 

"  What  is  up,  colonel  ? ''  was  the  general  question. 

''The  army  moves  forward  at  daybreak.  We  are  go 
ing  to  take  Ciudad.'* 

A  cheer  of  surprise  and  delight  burst  from  all.  There 
"was  an  emptying  of  glasses,  a  pouring  out  of  one  more 
bumper  to  success,  and  in  five  minutes  the  court  was  deserted 
save  by  some  orderlies  hastily  devouring  the  interrupted 
supper,  and  ere  long  the  tramp  of  horses  could  be  heard, 
as  the  Scudamores  and  their  comrades  dashed  off  in  dif- 
ferent directions  with  their  despatches. 

The  next  morning  a  bridge  was  thrown  over  the  Agueda 
at  Marialva,  six  miles  below  Ciudad,  but  the  investment 
was  delayed,  owing  to  the  slowness  and  insufficiency  of  the 
transport.  Ciudad  Rodrigo  was  but  a  third-class  fortress, 
and  could  have  been  captured  by  the  process  of  a  regular 
siege  with  comparatively  slight  loss  to  the  besiegers. 
Wellington  knew,  however,  that  he  could  not  afford  the 
time  for  a  regular  siege.     Long  before  the  approachea 


2S6  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

could  have  been  made,  and  the  breaches  effected  according 
to  rule,  the  French  marshals  would  hare  been  up  with 
overwhelming  forces. 

Beginning  the  investment  on  the  7th,  Wellington  deter- 
mined that  it  must  be  taken  at  all  costs  in  twenty-four 
days,  the  last  day  of  the  month  being  the  very  earliest 
date  at  which,  according  to  his  calculations,  any  consider- 
able body  of  French  could  come  up  to  its  relief. 

Ciudad  lies  on  rising  ground  on  the  bank  of  the  Agueda. 
The  fortifications  were  fairly  strong,  and  being  protected 
by  a  very  high  glacis,  it  was  difficult  to  effect  a  breach  in 
them.  The  glacis  is  the  smooth  ground  outside  the  ditch. 
In  well-constructed  works  the  walls  of  the  fortification 
rise  but  very  little  above  the  ground  beyond,  from  which 
they  are  separated  by  a  broad  and  deep  ditch.  Thus  the 
ground  beyond  the  ditch,  that  is,  the  glacis,  covers  the 
walls  from  the  shot  of  a  besieger,  and  renders  it  extremely 
difficult  to  reach  them.  In  the  case  of  Ciudad,  however, 
there  were  outside  the  place  two  elevated  plateaux, called  the 
great  and  small  Teson  :  Guns  placed  on  these  could  look 
down  upon  Ciudad,  and  could  therefore  easily  breach  the 
walls.  These,  then,  were  the  spots  from  which  Wellington 
determined  to  make  the  attack.  The  French,  however, 
were  aware  of  the  importance  of  the  position,  and  had 
erected  on  the  higher  Teson  an  inclosed  and  palisadoed 
redoubt,  mounting  two  guns  and  a  howitzer.  A  great  diffi- 
culty attending  the  operation  was  that  there  were  neither 
fuel  nor  shelter  to  be  obtained  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river,  and  the  weather  set  in  very  cold,  with  frost  and 
snow,  at  the  beginning  of  the  siege.  Hence  the  troops  had 
to  be  encamped  on  the  left  bank,  and  each  division,  as  its 
turn  came,  to  occupy  the  trenches  for  twenty-four  hours, 
took  cooked  provisions  with  it,  and  waded  across  the 
Agueda. 

On  the  8th,  Pack's  division  of  Portuguese  and  the  light 
division  waded  the  river  three  miles  above  the  fortress. 


THE  YOUNG  BtTGLEttS.  287 

and,  making  a  circuit  took  up  a  place  near  the  great 
Teson.  There  they  remained  quiet  all  day.  The  French 
seJng  that  the  place  was  not  yet  entirely  invested  paid 
but  little  heed  to  them.  At  nightfall,  however,  Colonel 
Colborne,  with  two  companies  from  each  of  the  regiments 
of  the  light  division,  attacked  the  redoubt  of  San  Francisco 
with  such  a  sudden  rush  that  it  was  carried  with  the  loss 
of  only  twenty-four  men,  the  defenders,  few  and  unpre- 
pared, being  all  taken  prisoners.  Scarcely,  however,  was 
the  place  captured  than  every  gun  of  Ciudad  which  could 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  it  opened  with  fury.  All  night, 
under  a  hail  of  shot  and  shell,  the  troops  labored  steadily, 
and  by  daybreak  the  first  parallel,  that  is  to  say,  a  trench 
protected  by  a  bank  of  earth  six  hundred  yards  in  length 
was  sunk  three  feet  deep.  The  next  day  the  first  division 
relieved  the  light  division. 

Tom  and  Peter,  now  that  the  army  was  stationary,  had 
an  easier  time  of  it,  and  obtained  leave  to  cross  the  river 
to  see  the  operations.  The  troops  had  again  to  wade 
through  the  bitter  cold  water,  and  at  any  other  time  would 
have  grumbled  rarely  at  the  discomfort.  When  they  really 
engage  in  the  work  of  war,  however,  the  British  soldier 
cares  for  nothing,  and  holding  up  their  rifles,  pouches  and 
haversacks,  to  keep  dry,  the  men  crossed  the  river  laugh- 
ing and  joking.  There  was  but  little  done  all  day,  for  the 
fire  of  the  enemy  was  too  fast  and  deadly  for  men  to  work 
tinder  it  in  daylight.  At  night  the  Scudamores  left  their 
horses  with  those  of  the  divisional  officers,  and  accom- 
panied the  troops  into  the  trenches,  to  learn  the  work 
which  had  there  to  be  done.  Directly  it  was  dusk  twelve 
hundred  men  fell  to  work  to  construct  their  batteries. 
The  night  was  dark,  and  it  was  strange  to  the  Scudamores 
to  hear  the  thud  of  so  many  picks  and  shovels  going,  to 
hear  now  and  then  a  low  spoken  order,  but  to  see  nothing 
save  when  the  flash  of  the  enemy's  guns  momentarily  lit 
up  the  scene.    Every  hall  minute  or  so  the  shot,  shelly 


238  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

and  grape  came  tearing  throngh  the  air,  followed  occasion- 
ally by  a  low  cry  or  a  deep  moan.  Exciting  as  it  was  for  a 
time,  the  boys  having  no  duty,  found  it  difficult  long  to 
keep  awake,  and  presently  dozed  off — at  first  to  wake  with 
a  start  whenever  a  shell  fell  close,  but  presently  to  sleep 
soundly  until  dawn.  By  that  time  the  batteries,  eighteen 
feet  thick,  were  completed. 

On  the  10th  the  fourth  division,  and  on  the  11th  the 
third,  carried  on  the  works,  but  were  nightly  disturbed, 
not  only  by  the  heavy  fire  from  the  bastions,  but  from 
some  guns  which  the  French  had  mounted  on  the  convent 
of  San  Francisco  in  the  suburb  on  the  left.  Little  was 
effected  in  the  next  tw^o  days,  for  the  frost  hardened  the 
ground  and  impeded  the  work.  On  the  night  of  the  13th 
the  Santa  Cruz  convent  was  carried  and  the  trenches 
pushed  forward,  and  on  the  next  afternoon  the  breaching 
batteries  opened  fire  with  twenty-five  guns  upon  the  points 
of  the  wall  at  which  it  had  been  determined  to  make  the 
breaches,  while  two  cannons  kept  down  the  fire  of  the 
French  guns  at  the  convent  of  San  Francisco.  The  French 
replied  with  more  than  fifty  pieces,  and  all  night  the  tre- 
mendous fire  was  kept  up  on  both  sides  without  inter- 
mission. Just  at  daybreak  the  sound  of  musketry  mingled 
with  the  roar  of  cannon,  as  the  40th  Regiment  attacked 
and  carried  the  convent  of  San  Francisco.  Through  the 
16th,  17th,  and  18th  the  artillery  duel  continued,  some 
times  one  side,  sometimes  the  other  obtaining  the  advan- 
tage ;  but  during  each  night  the  trenches  of  the  besiegers 
were  pushed  forward,  and  each  day  saw  the  breaches  in  the 
ramparts  grow  larger  and  larger.  On  the  19th  the  breaches 
were  reported  as  practicable — that  is,  that  it  would  be 
possible  for  men  to  scramble  up  the  fallen  rubbish  to 
the  top,  and  orders  were  therefore  given  for  the  assault 
for  that  night. 

The  attack  was  to  be  made  at  four  points  simultaneously  ; 
the  5th,  94th,  and  77th  were  to  attack  from  the  convent 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  239 

of  Santa  Cruz,  to  make  for  the  ditch,  enter  it,  and  work 
their  way  along  to  the  great  breach  ;  Mackinnon's  brigade 
of  the  third  division  was  to  attack  the  great  breach  from 
the  front ;  the  light  division  posted  behind  the  convent  of 
San  Francisco  were  to  attack  from  the  left,  and  make  their 
way  to  the  small  breach  ;  while  a  false  attack,  to  be  con- 
verted into  a  real  one  if  the  resistance  was  slight,  was 
to  be  made  by  Pack's  Portuguese  at  the  St.  Jago  gate  at  the 
opposite  side  of  the  town.  As  night  fell  the  troops  moved 
into  their  position,  and  Lord  Wellington  went  to  the  con- 
vent of  San  Francisco,  from  whose  roof  he  could  survey 
the  operations.  The  Scudamores,  with  the  rest  of  the 
staff,  took  up  their  places  behind  him.  Suddenly  there 
was  a  shout  on  the  far  right,  followed  by  a  sound  of  con- 
fused cheering  and  firing,  while  flashes  of  flame  leapt  out 
along  the  walls,  and  the  guns  of  the  place  opened  fire  with  a 
crash.  [N'ow  the  5th,  94th,  and  7Tth  rushed  with  great 
swiftness  along  the  ditch,  when,  at  the  foot  of  the  great 
breach,  they  were  met  by  the  third  division.  Together 
they  poured  up  the  breach,  and  the  roar  of  musketry  was 
tremendous.  Once  at  the  top  of  the  breach,  however, 
they  made  no  progress.  From  a  trench  which  had  been 
cut  beyond  it,  a  ring  of  fire  broke  out,  while  muskets 
flashed  from  every  window  in  the  houses  near.  It  was 
evident  that  some  serious  obstacle  had  been  encountered, 
and  that  the  main  attack  was  arrested. 

''  This  is  terrible,*'  Peter  said,  as  almost  breathless  they 
watched  the  storm  of  fire  on  and  around  the  breach. 
'^  This  is  a  thousand  times  worse  than  a  battle.  It  is  awful 
to  think  how  the  shot  must  be  telling  on  that  dense  mass. 
Can  nothing  be  done  ? '' 

''  Hurrah  !  There  go  the  light  division  at  the  small 
breach,"  Tom  exclaimed,  as  the  French  fire  broke  out 
along  the  ramparts  in  that  quarter.  A  violent  cheer  came 
up  even  above  the  din  from  the  great  breach,  but  no  an- 
swering fire  lights  the  scene,  for  Major  Napier,  who  com- 


240  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

manded,  had  forbidden  his  men  to  load,  telling  them  to 
trust  entirely  to  the  bayonet.  There  was  no  delay  here ; 
the  firing  of  the  French  ceased  almost  immediately,  as  with 
a  fierce  rush  the  men  of  the  light  division  bounded  up  the 
ruins  and  won  the  top  of  the  breach.  For  a  moment  or 
two  there  was  a  pause,  for  the  French  opened  so  fierce  a 
fire  from  either  side,  that  the  troops  wavered.  The  ofiicers 
sprang  to  the  front,  the  soldiers  followed  with  the  bayonet, 
and  the  French,  unable  to  stand  the  fierce  onslaught, 
broke  and  fled  into  the  town.  Then  the  men  of  the  light 
division,  rushing  along  the  walls,  took  the  French  who 
were  defending  the  great  breach  in  rear,  and  as  these  gave 
way,  the  attacking  party  swept  across  the  obstacles  which 
had  hitherto  kept  them,  and  the  town  was  won.  Pack's 
Portuguese  had  effected  an  entrance  at  the  St.  Jago  gate, 
which  they  found  almost  deserted,  for  the  garrison  was 
weak,  and  every  available  man  had  been  taken  for  the  de- 
fence of  the  breaches. 

Thus  was  Ciudad  Rodrigo  taken  after  twelve  days'  siege, 
with  a  loss  of  twelve  hundred  men  and  ninety  officers,  of 
which  six  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  sixty  officers  fell  in 
that  short,  bloody  fight  at  the  breaches.  Among  the  killed 
was  General  Crauf  urd,  who  had  commanded  at  the  fight  on 
the  Coa. 

Upon  entering  the  town  three  days  afterwards,  at  the 
termination  of  -  the  disgraceful  scene  of  riot  and  pillage 
with  which  the  British  soldier,  there  as  at  other  places, 
tarnished  the  laurels  won  by  his  bravery  in  battle,  the 
boys  jtvent  to  the  scene  of  the  struggle,  and  then  understood 
the  cause  of  the  delay  upon  the  part  of  the  stormers. 
From  the  top  of  the  breach  there  was  a  perpendicular  fall 
of  sixteen  feet,  and  the  bottom  of  this  was  planted  with 
sharp  spikes,  and  strewn  with  the  fragments  of  shells  which 
the  French  had  rolled  down  into  it.  Had  it  not  been  for 
the  light  division  coming  up,  and  taking  the  defenders — 
who  occupied  the   loopholed  and  fortified  houses  which 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  241 

commanded  this  breach — in  rear,  the  attack  here  could 
never  have  succeeded. 

The  next  few  days  were  employed  in  repairing  the 
breaches,  aud  putting  the  place  again  in  a  state  of  defence, 
as  it  was  probable  that  Marmont  might  come  up  and  be- 
siege it.  The  French  marshal,  however,  vv^hen  hurrying 
to  the  relief  of  the  tov/n,  heard  the  news  of  its  fall,  and  as 
the  weather  was  very  bad  for  campaigning,  and  provisions 
short,  he  fall  back  again  to  his  winter  quarters,  believing 
that  Wellington  would,  content  with  his  success,  make  no 
fresh  movement  until  the  spring.  The  English  general, 
however,  was  far  too  able  a  strategist  not  to  profit  by  the 
supineness  of  his  adversary,  and,  immediately  Ciudad 
Eodrigo  was  taken,  he  began  to  make  preparations  for  the 
siege  of  Badajos,  a  far  stronger  fortress  than  Ciudad,  and 
defended  by  strong  detached  forts.  Three  days  after  the 
fall  of  Rodrigo  General  Hill  came  up  with  his  division  ;  to 
this  the  Norfolk  Rangers  now  belonged,  and  the  Scuda- 
mores  had  therefore  the  delight  of  meeting  all  their  old 
friends  again.  They  saw  but  little  of  them,  however,  for 
they  were  constantly  on  the  road  to  Lisbon  with  de- 
spatches, every  branch  of  the  service  being  now  strained  to 
get  the  battering-train  destined  for  the  attack  on  Badajos 
to  the  front,  while  orders  were  sent  to  Silviera,  Trant, 
Wilson,  Lecca,  and  the  other  partisan  leaders,  to  hold  all 
the  fords  and  defiles  along  the  frontier,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  French  from  making  a  counter-invasion  of  Portugal. 

On  the  11th  of  March  the  army  arrived  at  Elvas,  and  on 
the  15th  a  pontoon  bridge  was  thrown  across  the  Guadiana. 
The  following  day  the  British  troops  crossed  the  river,  and 
invested  Badajos,  with  fifteen  thousand  men,  while  Hill 
and  Graham,  with  thirty  thousand  more  moved  forward, 
so  as  to  act  as  a  covering  army,  in  case  the  French  should 
advance  to  raise  the  siege.  Badajos  was  defended  by  five 
thousand  men,  under  General  Phillipson,  a  most  able  and 
energetic  commander,  who  had  in  every  way  strengthened 


242  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

tlie  defences,  and  put  them  in  a  position  to  offer  an  ob* 
stinate  resistance. 

Before  attacking  the  fortress  it  was  necessary  to  capture 
one  of  the  outlying  forts,  and  that  known  as  the  Picurina 
was  selected,  because  the  bastion  of  the  Trinidad,  which 
lay  behind  it,  was  the  weakest  portion  of  the  fortress. 
The  trenches  were  commenced  against  this  on  the  night 
of  the  17th,  and,  although  the  French  made  some  vigorous 
sorties,  the  works  progressed  so  rapidly  that  all  was  ready 
for  an  assault  on  the  forts  on  the  25th,  a  delay  of  two  daya 
having  been  occasioned  by  the  French  taking  guns  across 
the  river,  which  swept  the  trenches,  and  rendered  work  im- 
possible, until  a  division  wais  sent  round  to  drive  in  the 
French  guns  and  invest  the  fortress  on  that  side.  The 
Picurina  was  strong,  and  desperately  defended,  but  it  was 
captured  after  a  furious  assault,  which  lasted  one  hour, 
and  cost  nineteen  officers  and  three  hundred  men.  It  was 
not,  however,  until  next  evening  that  the  fort  could  be  oc- 
cupied, for  the  guns  of  the  town  poured  such  a  hail  of  shot 
and  shell  into  it,  that  a  permanent  footing  could  not  be  ob- 
tained in  it.  Gradually,  day  by  day,  the  trenches, were 
driven  nearer  to  the  doomed  city,  and  the  cannon  of  the 
batteries  worked  day  and  night  to  establish  a  breach. 
Soult  was  known  to  be  approaching,  but  he  wanted  to 
gather  up  all  his  available  forces,  as  he  believed  the  town 
capable  of  holding  out  for  another  month,  at  lea'st.  Still 
he  was  approaching,  and,  although  the  three  breaches  were 
scarcely  yet  practicable,  and  the  fire  of  the  town  by  no 
means  overpowered,  Wellington  determined  upon  an  in- 
stant assault,  and  on  the  night  of  the  6th  of  April  the 
troops  prepared  for  what  turned  out  to  be  the  most  terri- 
ble and  bloody  assault  in  the  annals  of  the  British  army. 
There  were  no  less  than  six  columns  of  attack,  comprismg 
in  all  eighteen  thousand  men.  Picton,  on  the  right  with 
the  third  division  was  to  cross  the  Eivillas  and  storm  the 
castle.    Wilson,  with  the  troops  in  the  trenches,  was  to 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  243 

attack  San  Roque.     In  the  center  the  fourth  and  light  di- 
vision. Tinder  Colville  and  Barnard,  were  to  assault  the 
breaches  ;  and  on  the  left  Leith,  with  the  fifth  division, 
was  to  make  a  false  attack  upon  the  fort  of  Pardaleras,  and 
a  real  attack  upon  the  bastion  of  San  Vincente  by  the  river 
side.    Across  the  river  the  Portugese  division,  under  Power, 
was  to  attack  the  works  at  the  head  of  the  bridge.     The 
night  was  dark  and  clouded,  and  all  was  as  still  as  death 
outside  the  town,  when  a  lighted  carcass,  that  is  a  large 
iron  canister  filled  with  tar  and  combustibles,  fell  close  to 
the  third  division,  and,  exposing  their  ranks,  forced  them 
to  commence  the  attack  before  the  hour  appointed.     Cross- 
ing the  Rivillas  by  a  narrow  bridge,  under  a  tremendous 
fircp  tbe  third  division  assaulted  the  castle,  and,  although 
their  scaling-ladders  were  over  and  over  again  hurled  down, 
the  stormers  at  last  obtained  a  footing,  and  the  rest  of  the 
troops  poured  in  and  the  castle  was  won.     A  similar  and 
more  rapid  success  attended  the  assault  on  San  Roque, 
which  was  attacked  so  suddenly  and  violently,  that  it  was 
taken  with  scarce  any  resistance.     In  the  mean  time  the 
assaults  upon  the  breaches  had  commenced,  and  it  is  best 
to  give  the  account  of  this  terrible  scene  in  the  words  of  its 
eloquent  and  graphic  historian,  as  the  picture  is  one  of  the 
most  vivid  that  was  ever  drawn. 

"  All  this  time  the  tumult  at  the  breaches  was  such  as  if 
the  very  earth  had  been  rent  asunder,  and  its  central  fires 
bursting  upwards  uncontrolled.  The  two  divisions  had 
reached  the  glacis  just  as  the  firing  at  the  castle  com- 
menced, and  the  flash  of  a  single  musket,  discharged  from 
the  covered- way  as  a  signal,  showed  them  that  the  French 
were  ready  ;  yet  no  stir  was  heard  and  darkness  covered  the 
breaches.  Some  hay-packs  were  thrown,  some  ladders 
placed,  and  the  forlorn  hopes  and  storming  parties  of  the 
light  division,  five  hundred  in  all,  descended  into  the  ditch 
without  opposition  ;  but  then  a  bright  flame  shooting  up- 
wards displayed  all  the  terrors  of  the  scene.    The  ramparts. 


244  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

crowded  with  dark  figures  and  glittering  arms  were  on  one 
side,  on  tlie  other  the  red  columns  of  the  British,  deep  and 
broad,  were  coming  on  like  streams  of  burning  lava.  It 
was  the  touch  of  the  magician's  wand,  for  a  crash  of 
thunder  followed,  and  with  incredible  violence  the  storm- 
ing parties  were  dashed  to  pieces  by  the  explosion  of  hun- 
dreds of  shells  and  powder-barrels.  For  an  instant  the  light 
division  stood  on  the  brink  of  the  ditch,  amazed  at  the  ter- 
rific sight  ;  but  then,  with  a  shout  that  matched  even  the 
sound  of  the  explosion,  the  men  flew  down  the  ladders,  or, 
disdaining  their  aid,  leaped,  reckless  of  the  depth,  into  the 
gulf  below — and  at  the  same  moment,  amidst  a  blaze  of 
musketry  that  dazzled  the  eyes,  the  fourth  division  came 
running  in,  and  descended  with  a  like  fury.  There  were 
only  five  ladders  for  the  two  columns,  which  were  close  to- 
gether ;  and  a  deep  cut,  made  in  the  bottom  of  the  ditch 
as  far  as  the  counter-guard  of  the  Trinidad,  was  filled  with 
water  from  the  inundation.  Into  that  watery  snare  the 
head  of  the  fourth  division  fell,  and  it  is  said  above  a  hun- 
dred of  the  fusiliers,  the  men  of  Albuera,  were  ther« 
smothered.  Those  who  followed  checked  not,  but,  as  H 
such  a  disaster  had  been  expected,  turned  to  the  left,  and 
thus  came  upon  the  face  of  the  unfinished  ravelin,  which, 
being  rough  and  broken,  was  mistaken  for  the  breach,  and 
instantly  covered  with  men  ;  yet  a  wide  and  deep  chasm 
was  still  between  them  and  the  ramparts,  from  whence 
came  a  deadly  fire,  wasting  their  ranks.  Thus  baffled, 
they  also  commenced  a  rapid  discharge  of  musketry  and 
disorder  ensued  ;  for  the  men  of  the  light  division,  whose 
conducting  engineer  had  been  disabled  early  and  whose 
flank  was  confined  by  an  unfinished  ditch  intended  to  cut 
oft*  the  bastion  of  Santa  Maria,  rushed  towards  the  breaches 
of  the  curtain  and  the  Trinidad,  which  were,  indeed,  before 
them,  but  which  the  fourth  division  had  been  destined  to 
storm.  Great  was  the  confusion,  for  the  ravelin  was  quite 
crowded  with  men  of  both  divisions,  and  while  some  co«r 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  245 

tmued  to  fire,  others  jumped  down  and  ran  towards  the 
breach  ;  many  also  passed  between  the  ravelin  and  the 
:oLmterguard  of  the  Trinidad,  the  two  divisions  got  mixed, 
the  reserves,  which  should  have  remained  at  the  quarries, 
also  came  pouring  in,  until  the  ditch  was  quite  filled,  the 
rear  still  crowding  forward,  and  all  cheering  vehemently. 
The  enemy's  shouts  also  were  loud  and  terrible,  and  the 
bursting  of  shells,  and  of  grenades,  and  the  roaring  of  guns 
from  the  flanks,  answered  by  the  iron  howitzers  from  the 
battery  of  the  parallel,  the  heavy  roll,  and  horrid  explosion 
of  the  powder- barrels,  the  whizzing  flight  of  the  blazing 
splinters,  the  loud  exhortations  of  the  officers,  and  the  con- 
tinual clatter  of  the  muskets,  made  a  maddening  din. 
Now  a  multitude  bounded  up  the  great  breach,  as  if  driven 
by  a  whirlwind,  but  across  the  top  glittered  a  range  of 
sword-blades,  sharp-pointed,  keen-edged  on  both  sides,  and 
firmly  fixed  in  ponderous  beams  chained  together,  and  set 
deep  in  the  ruins  ;  and  for  ten  feet  in  front  the  ascent 
was  covered  with  loose  planks,  studded  with  sharp  iron 
points,  on  which,  feet  being  set,  the  planks  moved,  and 
the  unhappy  soldiers,  falling  forward  on  the  spikes,  rolled 
down  upon  the  ranks  behind.  Then  the  Frenchmen, 
shouting  at  the  success  of  their  stratagem,  and,  leaping 
forward,  plied  their  shot  with  terrible  rapidity,  for  every 
man  had  several  muskets,  and  each  musket,  in  addition  to 
its  ordinary  charge,  contained  a  small  cylinder  of  wood, 
stuck  full  of  wooden  slugs,  which  scattered  like  hail  when 
they  were  discharged.  Once  and  again  the  assailants 
rushed  up  the  breaches,  but  always  the  sword-blades,  im- 
movable and  impassable,  stopped  their  charge,  and  the 
hissing  shells  and  thundering  powder-barrels  exploded  un- 
ceasingly. Hundreds  of  men  had  fallen,  hundreds  more 
were  dropping,  still,  the  heroic  officers  called  aloud  for 
new  trials,  and  sometimes  followed  by  many,  sometimes  by  a 
few,  ascended  the  ruins  ;  and  so  furious  were  the  men  them- 
selves, that,  in  one  of  these  charges,  the  rear  strove  to  push 


246  TEE  YOUNG  BTTGLETtS. 

the  foremost  on  to  the  sword-blades,  willing  even  to  make  a 
bridge  of  their  writhing  bodies,  but  the  others  frustrated  the 
attempt  by  dropping  down  ;  and  men  fell  so  fast  from  the 
shot,  it  was  hard  to  know  who  went  down  voluntarily,  who 
were  stricken  and  many  stooped  unhurt  that  never  rose 
again.  Vain  also  would  it  have  been  to  break  through  the 
sword-blades,  for  the  trench  and  parapet  behind  the  breach 
were  finished,  and  the  assailants,  crowded  into  even  a  nar- 
rower space  than  the  ditch  was,  would  still  have  been  sep- 
arated from  their  enemies,  and  the  slaughter  would  have  con- 
tinued. At  the  beginning  of  this  dreadful  conflict  Andrew 
Barnard  had,  with  prodigious  efforts,  separated  his  division 
from  the  other,  and  preserved  some  degree  of  military  array  ; 
but  now  the  tumult  was  such,  no  command  would  be  heard 
distinctly  except  by  those  close  at  hand,  and  the  mutilated 
carcasses  heaped  on  each  other,  and  the  wounded  strug- 
gling to  avoid  being  trampled  upon,  broke  the  formations  ; 
order  was  impossible  !  Officers  of  all  ranks,  followed  more 
or  less  nnmerously  by  the  men,  were  seen  to  start  out  as  if 
struck  by  sudden  madness,  and  rush  into  the  breach,  which, 
yawning  and  glittering  with  steel,  seemed  like  the  mouth 
of  a  huge  dragon  belching  forth  smoke  and  flame.  In  one  of 
these  attempts,  Colonel  Macleod,  of  the  43rd,  a  young  man 
whose  feeble  body  would  have  been  quite  unfit  for  war  if 
it  had  not  been  sustained  by  an  unconquerable  spirit,  was 
killed  ;  wherever  his  voice  was  heard  his  soldiers  had 
gathered,  and  with  such  a  strong  resolution  did  he  lead 
them  up  the  fatal  ruins  that,  when  one  behind  him,  in 
falling,  plunged  a  bayonet  into  his  back,  he  complained 
not  ;  but,  continuing  his  course,  was  shot  dead  within  a 
yard  of  the  sword-blades.  Yet  there  was  no  want  of  gal- 
lant leaders,  or  desperate  followers,  until  two  hours  passed 
in  these  vain  efforts  had  convinced  the  troops  the  breach 
of  the  Trinidad  was  impregnable  ;  and,  as  the  opening  in 
the  cnrtain,  although  less  strong,  was  retired,  and  the  ap- 
proscn  to  it  impeded  by  deep  holes  and  cuts  made  in  tho 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  247 

ditch,  tlie  soldiers  did  not  much  notice  it  after  the  partial 
failure  of  one  attack  which  had  been  made  early.  Gather- 
ing' in  dark  groups,  and  leaning  on  their  muskets,  they 
looked  up  with  sullen  desperation  at  the  Trinidad,  while 
the  enemy,  stepping  out  on  the  ramparts,  and  aiming  their 
shots  by  the  light  of  the  fire-balls  which  they  threw  over, 
asked,  as  their  victims  fell,  '  Why  they  did  not  come  into 
Badajos  ? '  In  this  dreadful  situation,  while  the  dead  were 
lying  in  heaps,  and  others  continually  falling,  the  wounded 
crawling  about  to  get  some  shelter  from  the  merciless 
shower  above,  and  withal  a  sickening  stench  from  the  burnt 
flesh  of  the  slain.  Captain  Nicholas,  of  the  engineers,  was 
observed  by  Lieutenant  Shaw,  of  the  43rd,  making  incred- 
ible efforts  to  force  his  way  with  a  few  men  into  the  Santa 
Maria  Bastion.  Shaw  immediately  collected  fifty  soldiers, 
of  all  regiments,  and  joined  him,  and  although  there  was 
a  deep  cut  along  the  foot  of  that  breach  also,  it  was 
instantly  passed,  and  these  two  young  officers  led  their  gal- 
lant band,  with  a  rush,  up  the  ruins  ;  but  when  ttiey  had 
gained  two-thirds  of  the  ascent,  a  concentrated  fir^  "^f 
musketry  and  grape  dashed  nearly  the  whole  dead  to  the 
earth.  Nicholas  was  mortally  wounded,  and  the  intrepid 
Shaw  stood  alone  !  With  inexpressible  coolness  he  looked 
at  his  watch,  and  saying  it  was  too  late  to  carry  the 
reaches,  rejoined  the  masses  at  the  other  attack.  After 
this  no  furthej;"  effort  was  made  at  any  point,  and  the 
troops  remained  passive  but  unflinching  beneath  the 
enemy's  shot,  which  streamed  without  intermission  ;  for, 
of  the  riflemen  on  the  glacis  many  leaped  early  into  the 
ditch  and  joined  in  the  assault,  and  the  rest,  raked  by  a 
cross-fire  of  grape  from  the  distant  bastions,  baffled  in  their 
aim  by  the  smoke  and  flames  from  the  explosions,  and  too 
few  in  number,  entirely  failed  to  quell  the  French  mus- 
ketry. About  midnight,  when  two  thousand  brave  mea 
had  fallen,  Wellington,  who  was  on  a  height  close  to  the 
quarries,  ordered  the  remainder  to  retire  and  re-form  for  a 


248  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

second  assault  ;  he  had  heard  the  castle  was  taken,  but 
thinking  the  enemy  would  still  resist  in  the  town,  was  re- 
solved to  assail  the  breaches  again.  This  retreat  from  the 
ditch  was  not  effected  without  further  carnage  and  con- 
fusion. The  French  fire  never  slackened.  A  cry  arose  that 
the  enemy  was  making  a  sally  from  the  distant  flanks,  and 
there  was  a  rush  towards  the  ladders.  Then  the  groans  and 
lamentations  of  the  wounded,  who  could  not  move  and  ex- 
pected to  be  slain,  increased,  and  many  officers  who  had 
not  heard  of  the  order,  endeavored  to  stop  the  soldiers  from 
going  back  ;  some  would  even  have  removed  the  ladders 
but  were  unable  to  break  the  crowd.'* 

While  this  terrible  scene  was  passing,  the  victory  had 
been  decided  elsewhere.  The  capture  of  the  castle  by 
Picton  would,  in  itself,  have  caused  the  fall  of  the  town 
upon  the  following  day,  but  Leith,  with  the  fifth  division, 
after  hard  fighting,  scaled  the  St.  Vincente  bastion,  and 
came  up  through  the  town  and  took  the  defenders  of  the 
breaches  in  the  rear.  Then  the  French  gave  way,  the 
British  poured  in,  and  the  dreadful  scenes  which  had 
marked  the  fall  of  Ciudad  Rodrigo  wererepeated,  and  even 
surpassed.  Up  to  the  present  day  the  name  of  an  English- 
man is  coupled  with  a  curse  in  the  town  of  Badajos.  At 
this  siege,  as  at  the  last,  the*Scudamores  acted  the  part 
of  lookers  on,  and  although  they  bitterly  regretted  it,  it 
was  well  for  them  that  it  was  so.  The  capture  of  Badajos 
cost  the  allied  army  five  thousand  men,  of  whom  three 
thousand  five  hundred  fell  on  the  night  of  the  assault. 
Each  of  the  divisions  which  attacked  the  breaches  lost  over 
twelve  hundred  men,  and  the  5^nd  Regiment,  who  formed 
part  of  the  light  division,  lost  their  full  share.  Among 
the  ranks  of  the  officers  the  slaughter  was  particulaaly 
great,  and  scarce  one  escaped  without  a  wound.  The 
8cudamores  would  fain  have  volunteered  to  join  their  regi- 
ment in  the  assault,  but  it  was  well  known  that  Lord 
Wellington  would  not  allow  staS  officers  to  go  outside  their 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  249 

own  work.  Therefore  they  had  looked  on  with  beating 
hearts  and  pale  faces,  and  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  at  that 
terrible  fight  at  the  Triudad,  and  had  determined  that 
when  morning  came  they  would  resign  their  staff  appoint- 
.ments  and  ask  leave  to  join  their  regiment.  But  "vvhen 
morning  came,  and  the  list  of  the  killed  and  wounded  was 
sent  in,  and  they  went  down  with  a  party  to  the  breach  to 
collect  the  wounded,  they  could  not  but  feel  that  they  had 
in  all  probability  escaped  death,  or  what  a  soldier  fears 
more,  mutilation.  "After  all,  Tom,"  Peter  said,  '^we 
have  done  some  active  service,  and  our  promotion  shows 
that  we  are  not  cowards  ;  there  can  be  no  reason  why  we 
should  not  do  our  duty  as  the  chief  has  marked  it  out  for 
us,  especially  when  it  is  quite  as  likely  to  lead  to  rapid  pro- 
motion as  is  such  a  murderous  business  as  this."  After 
this  no  more  was  said  about  resigning  the  staff  appoint- 
ment, which  gave  them  plenty  of  hard  work,  and  constant 
change  of  scene,  whereas  had  they  remained  with  the 
regiment  they  would  often  have  been  stationed  for  months 
in  ond  place  without  a  move* 


250  2^^^  YOUNG  BUGLEBS. 


CHAPTER  XVL 

SALAMANACA. 

The  great  triumphs  of  Ciudad  Rodrigo  and  Badajos  did 
Bot  lead  to  the  rapid  successes  which  AVellington  had 
hoped.  The  French  generals,  on  hearing  of  the  loss  of 
the  latter  fortress,  again  fell  back,  and  AVellington  was  so 
much  hampered  by  shortness  of  money,  by  the  inefficiency, 
obstinacy,  and  intrigues  of  the  Portuguese  Government, 
and  by  want  of  transport,  that  it  was  nearly  three  months 
before  he  could  get  everything  in  readiness  for  an  advance 
into  Spain.  At  last  all  was  prepared,  and  on  the  13th  of 
June  the  army  once  more  crossed  the  Agueda  and  marched 
towards  the  Tamar  in  four  columns.  On  the  17th  it  was 
within  six  miles  of  Salamanca,  and  Marshal  Marmont, 
unable  for  the  moment  to  stem  the  tide  of  invasion,  evac- 
uated the  city,  which  that  evening  blazed  with  illumina- 
tions, the  people  being  half  wild  with  joy  at  their  ap- 
proaching deliverance.  The  French,  however,  had  not 
entirely  departed,  for  eight  hundred  men  still  held  some 
very  strong  forts  overlooking  and  guarding  the  city. 

These  forts  held  out  desperately  ;  the  British  battering 
train  was  weak,  and  upon  the  23d  Marmont,  having  re- 
ceived considerable  reinforcements,  advanced  to  raise  the 
siege.  Wellington,  however,  refused  to  be  tempted  to 
leave  his  trenches  to  deliver  a  general  battle,  but  faced 
the  enemy  with  a  portion  of  his  army  while  he  continued 
the  siege. 

Marmont,  upon  his  part,  believing  that  the  forts  could 
bold  out  for  fifteen  days,  put  off  the  attack,  as  he  knew 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLEHS.  251 

that  large  reinforcements  were  coming  up.  His  calcula- 
tions were  frustrated  by  one  of  the  forts  taking  fire  on  the 
27th,  when  an  assault  was  delivered,  and  the  whole  of  the 
forts  surrendered ;  Marmont  at  once  fell  back  across  the 
Douro,  there  to  await  the  arrival  of  his  reinforcements. 

Wellington,  on  his  part,  followed  slowly,  and  his  army 
took  up  a  position  between  Canizal  and  Castrejon,  there- 
by covering  the  roads  from  Toro  and  Tordesillas,  the  only 
points  at  which  the  French  could  cross  the  river.  The 
reports  of  the  spies  all  agreed  that  the  former  was  the 
place  at  which  the  crossing  would  be  made. 

On  the  16th  of  July  an  officer  rode  into  Canizal,  at 
headlong  pace,  with  the  news  that  a  reconnoitering  party 
had  crossed  the  Douro  that  morning  near  Tordesillas,  and 
had  found  that  place  deserted,  except  by  a  garrison  ;  and 
an  hour  later  the  news  came  in  that  three  divisions  of  the 
enemy  were  already  across  the  river  at  Toro.  Five  min- 
utes later  the  Scudamores  were  on  horseback,  carrying 
orders  that  the  whole  of  the  army,  with  the  exception  of 
the  fourth  and  light  divisions,  which  were  on  the  Tra- 
bancos,  under  General  Cotton,  were  to  concentrate  at  Can- 
izal that  night.  By  the  morning  the  movement  was  ac- 
complished. 

The  day  wore  on  in  somewhat  anxious  expectation,  aul 
towards  afternoon  Wellington,  accompanied  by  Lord  Beres- 
ford,  and  escorted  by  Alten's,  Bock's  and  Le  Marchant's 
brigades  of  cavalry,  started  to  make  a  reconnaisance  of  the 
enemy's  movements.  Caution  was  needed  for  the  ad- 
vance, as  it  was  quite  uncertain  whether  the  French  were 
pushing  on  through  the  open  country  towards  Canizal,  or 
vv^hether  they  were  following  the  direct  road  from  Toro  to 
Salamanca.  Evening  closed  in,  but  no  signs  of  the 
French  army  were  seen,  and  the  party  halted  about  six 
miles  from  Toro,  and  small  parties  of  cavalry  were  de- 
spatched right  and  left  to  scour  the  country,  and  find  out 
\yhere  the  enemy  had  gone. 


252  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEltS, 

*'  It's  very  strange  where  the  French  can  have  got  to,^ 
was  the  remark  made,  for  the  fiftieth  time  among  the  staff. 

The  detached  parties  returned,  bringing  no  news  what- 
ever, and  Lord  Wellington  again  advanced  slowly  and 
cautiously  towards  Toro.  Small  parties  were  pushed  on 
ahead,  and  presently  an  officer  rode  back  with  the  news  that 
he  had  been  as  far  as  the  river,  and  that  not  a  Frenchman 
was  to  be  seen.  It  was  too  late  to  do  any  more,  and  they 
remained  in  uncertainty  whether  the  enemy  had  recrossed 
the  river  after  making  a  demonstration,  or  whether  they 
had  marched  to  their  right,  so  as  to  make  a  circuit,  and 
throw  themselves  between  Ciudad  Rodrigo  and  Salamanca, 
upon  the  line  of  communication  of  the  British  army. 

Lord  Wellington,  with  his  staff,  took  possession  of  a  de- 
serted farm-house,  the  cavalry  picketed  their  horses  round 
it,  and  the  Scudamores,  who  had  been  more  than  twenty- 
four  hours  in  the  saddle,  wrapped  themselves  in  their 
cloaks,  and  stretching  themselves  on  the  floor,  were  soon 
asleep.  Just  at  midnight  the  sound  of  a  horse's  footfall 
approaching  at  a  gallop  was  heard,  and  an  officer,  who  had 
ridden,  without  drawing  rein,  from  Canizal,  dashed  up  to 
the  farm. 

Five  minutes  later  the  whole  party  were  in  the  saddle 
again.  The  news  was  important,  indeed.  Marmont  had 
drawn  his  whole  army  back  across  the  Toro  on  the  night  of 
the  16th,  had  marched  to  Tordesillas,  crossed  there,  and  in 
the  afternoon,  after  a  march  of  fifty  miles,  had  fallen  upon 
Cotton's  outposts,  and  driven  them  across  the  Trabancos. 

Not  a  moment's  time  was  lost  by  Wellington  after  he  re- 
ceived the  news  ;  but,  unfortunately,  six  precious  hours 
had  already  been  wasted,  owing  to  the  despatches  not  hav- 
ing reached  him  at  Canizal.  With  the  three  brigades  of 
cavalry  he  set  off  at  once  towards  Alaejos,  while  an  officer 
was  despatched  to  Canizal,  to  order  the  fifth  division  to 
inarch  with  all  speed  to  Torrecilla  de  la  Orden,  six  miles 
in  the  rear  of  Cotton's  position  at  Castrejon. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  253 

Fonr  hours*  riding  brought  them  to  Alaejos,  where  a  halt 
for  two  or  three  hours  was  ordered,  to  rest  the  weary  horses 
and  men.  Soon  after  daybreak,  however,  all  thought  of 
sleep  was  banished  by  the  roar  of  artillery,  which  told  that 
Marmont  was  pressing  hard  upon  Cotton's  troops.  "  To 
horse  !  "  was  the  cry,  and  Lords  Wellington  and  Beresf ord, 
with  their  staff,  rode  off  at  full  speed  towards  the  scene  of 
action,  with  the  cavalry  following  hard  upon  their  heels. 
An  hour's  ride  brought  them  to  the  ground.  Not  much 
could  be  seen,  for  the  country  was  undulating  and  bare, 
like  the  Brighton  Downs,  and  each  depression  was  full  of 
the  white  morning  mist,  which  wreathed  and  tossed  fan- 
tastically from  the  effects  of  the  discharges  of  firearms, 
the  movements  of  masses  of  men,  and  the  charges  of 
cavalry  hidden  within  it.  Upon  a  crest  near  at  hand  were 
a  couple  of  British  guns,  with  a  small  escort  of  horse. 

Suddenly,  from  the  mist  below,  a  party  of  some  fifty 
French  horsemen  dashed  out  and  made  for  the  guns.  The 
supporting  squadron,  surprised  by  the  suddenness  of  the 
attack,  broke  and  fled  ;  the  French  followed  hard  upon 
them,  and  just  as  Lord  Wellington,  with  his  staff,  gained 
the  crest,  pursuers  and  pursued  came  upon  them,  and  in 
pell-mell  confusion  the  whole  v/ere  borne  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  hill.  For  a  few  minutes  it  was  a  wild  melee. 
Lords  Wellington,  Beresf  ord,  and  their  staff,  with  their 
swords  drawn,  were  in  the  midst  of  the  fight,  and  friends 
and  foes  were  mingled  together,  when  the  leading  squad- 
rons of  the  cavalry  from  Alaejos  came  thundering  down, 
and  very  few  of  the  Frenchmen  who  had  made  that  gallant 
charge  escaped  to  tell  the  tale. 

The  mists  were  now  rapidly  clearing  up,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  whole  French  army  could  be  seen  advancing. 
They  moved  towards  the  British  left,  and  Wellington 
ordered  the  troops  at  once  to  retire.  The  British  fell  back 
in  three  columns,  and  marched  for  the  Gu arena,,  through 
Torrecilla  de  la  Orden,     The  French  also  marched  straight 


254  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

for  the  river,  and  now  one  of  the  most  singular  sights  ever 
presented  in  warfare  was  to  be  seen. 

The  hostile  armies  were  marching  abreast,  the  columns 
being  but  a  few  hundred  yards  apart,  the  officers  on  either 
side  waving  their  hands  to  each  other.  For  ten  miles  the 
armies  thus  pressed  forward  the  officers  urging  the  men, 
and  these  straining  every  nerve  to  get  first  to  the  river. 
From  time  to  time  the  artillery  of  either  side,  finding  a 
convenient  elevation,  would  pour  a  few  volleys  of  grape 
into  the  opposing  columns,  but  the  position  of  the  tvv^o 
armies,  did  not  often  admit  of  this.  Gradually  Cotton's 
men,  fresher  than  the  French,  who  had,  in  the  two  pre- 
vious days,  marched  fifty  miles,  gained  ground,  and,  reach- 
ing the  river,  marched  across  by  the  ford,  the  winners  of 
the  great  race  by  so  little  that  one  division,  which  halted 
for  a  moment  to  drink,  was  swept  by  forty  pieces  of  French 
artillery,  which  arrived  on  the  spot  almost  simultaneously 
with  it. 

On  the  Guarena  the  British  found  the  remaining  divi- 
sions of  the  army,  which  had  been  brought  up  from  Canizal. 
These  checked  Marraont  in  an  attempt  to  cross  at  Vallesa, 
while  the  29th  and  40th  Regiments,  with  a  desperate 
bayonet  charge,  drove  Carier's  French  division  back  as  it 
attempted  to  push  forward  beyond  Castrillo.  Thus  the 
two  armies  faced  each  other  on  the  Guarena,  and  Marmont 
had  gained  absolutely  nothing  by  his  false  movement  at 
Toro,  and  his  long  and  skillful  detour  by  Tordesillas. 

Quickly  the  rest  of  the  day  passed,  as  did  the  one  which 
followed,  the  troops  on  both  sides  resting  after  their 
fatigues.  "Wellington  expected  to  be  attacked  on  the  next 
morning  and  his  army  was  arranged  in  two  lines  ready  for 
the  combat.  At  daybreak,  however,  Marmont  moved  his 
army  up  the  river,  crossed  at  a  ford  there,  and  marched 
Btaight  for  Salamanca,  thus  turning  Wellington's  right, 
and  threatening  his  communications.  The  British  at  once 
feU  back,  and  the  scene  of  the  previous  day  was  repeated 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  255 

the  armies  marching  along  the  crest  of  two  parallel  hills 
within  musket  shot  distance  of  each  other. 

This  time  however,  the  French  troops,  although  they 
had  marched  considerably  farther  than  the  English  proved 
themselves  the  best  marchers,  and  when  night  fell  Welling- 
ton had  the  mortification  of  seeing  them  in  possession  of 
the  ford  of  Huerta  on  the  Tormes,  thus  securing  for  Mar- 
mont  the  junction  with  an  army  which  was  approaching 
under  King  Joseph,  and  also  the  option  of  either  fighting 
or  refusing  battle.  Wellington  felt  his  position  seriously 
threatened,  and  sent  off  a  despatch  to  the  Spanish  General 
Castanos,  stating  his  inability  to  hold  his  ground,  and  the 
probability  that  he  should  be  obliged  to  fall  back  upon 
Portugal.  This  letter  proved  the  cause  of  the  victory  of 
Salamanca  for  it  was  intercepted  by  the  French,  and  Mar- 
mont,  fearing  that  Wellington  would  escape  him,  prepared 
at  once  to  throw  himself  upon  the  road  to  Ciudad  Rodrigo, 
and  thus  cut  the  British  line  of  retreat,  in  spite  of  the 
positive  order  which  he  had  received  from  King  Joseph  not 
to  fight  until  he  himself  arrived  with  liis  army. 

Upon  the  2l3t  both  armies  crossed  the  Tormes,  the 
French  at  Alba  and  Huerta,  the  British  at  Aldea  Lengua, 
and  San  Marta.  Upon  that  day  the  news  reached  Welling- 
ton that  General  Chauvel,  with  2000  cavalry,  and  20  guns, 
would  reach  Marmont  on  the  evening  of  the  22d,  or  the 
morning  of  the  23d,  and  the  English  general  therefore 
resolved  to  retreat,  unless  Marmont  should,  by  some 
mistake,  give  him  a  chance  of  fighting  to  advantage. 

Close  to  the  British  right,  and  the  French  left,  were 
two  steep  and  rugged  hills,  called  the  Hermanitos,  or 
Brothers,  and  soon  after  daybreak  on  the  22d,  the  French 
seized  upon  the  one  nearest  to  them,  while  the  British 
took  possession  of  the  other.  Then,  watching  each  other, 
'  the  two  armies  remained  until  noon,  for  Wellington  could 
not  commence  his  retreat  by  daylight ;  but  a  long  cloud 
of  dust  along  the  road  to  Ciudad  Rodrigo  showed  that  th9 


256  yj^^  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

baggage  of  the  army  was  already  e7i  route  for  Portngal. 
Marmont  now  determined  to  make  a  bold  stroke  to  cut 
off  Wellington's  retreat,  and,  although  all  his  troops  had 
not  yet  arrived,  he  ordered  Maucune,  with  two  divisions, 
to  march  round  by  the  left  and  menace  the  Ciudad  road. 
It  was  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  Wellington, 
who  had  been  up  all  night,  thinking  that  Marmont  would 
make  no  move  that  day,  had  gone  to  lie  down  for  an  hour 
or  two,  when  Tom  Scudamore  who,  from  an  elevated  point, 
was  watching  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  hurried  in 
with  the  news  that  the  French  were  pushing  their  left 
round  towards  the  Ciudad  Road. 

Wellington  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  hurried  to  the  high 
ground,  where  he  beheld,  with  stern  satisfaction,  that  Mar- 
mont, in  his  eagerness  to  prevent  the  British  escape,  had 
committed  the  flagrant  error  of  detaching  his  wing  from 
his  main  body.  Instantly  he  issued  orders  for  an  attack, 
and  the  great  mass  of  men  upon  the  British  Hermanito 
moved  down  upon  the  plain  to  attack  Maucune  in  flank, 
while  the  third  division  was  ordered  to  throw  itself  across 
his  line  of  march,  and  to  attack  him  in  front.  As  the 
advance  across  the  plain  would  be  taken  in  flank  by  the 
fire  from  the  French  Hermanito,  General  Pack  was  ordered 
to  assail  that  position  directly  the  British  line  had  passed  it. 

Marmont,  standing  on  the  French  Hermanito,  was 
thunder-struck  at  beholding  the  plain  suddenly  covered 
with  enemies,  and  a  tremendous  fire  was  at  once  opened 
upon  the  advancing  British.  Officer  after  officer  was  de- 
spatched to  hurry  up  tlie  French  troops  still  upon  the 
march,  and  when  Marmont  saw  the  third  division  dash 
across  Maucune's  path,  he  was  upon  the  point  of  hurrying 
himself  to  the  spot,  when  a  shell  burst  close  to  him,  and 
he  was  dashed  to  the  earth  with  a  broken  arm,  and  two 
deep  wounds  in  his  side. 

Thus,  at  the  critical  point  of  the  battle,  the  French 
army  was  left  without  a  ik**^^ 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  257 

It  was  jnst  five  o'clock  when  Pakenham,  with  the  third 
division,  fell  like  a  thunderbolt  upon  the  head  of  Mau- 
cune's  troops.  These,  taken  by  surprise  by  this  attack,  on 
the  part  of  an  enemy  whom  they  had  thought  to  see  in 
full  flight,  yet  fought  gallantly,  and  strove  to  gain  time  to 
open  out  into  order  of  battle.  Bearing  onwards,  however, 
with  irresistible  force,  the  third  division  broke  the  head  of 
the  column,  and  drove  it  back  upon  its  supports.  Mean- 
while, the  battle  raged  all  along  ':he  line  ;  in  the  plain  the 
fourth  division  carried  the  village  of  Arapiles,  and  drove 
back  Bonnet's  division  with  the  bayonet,  and  the  fifth 
division  attacked  Maucnne's  command  in  flank,  while 
Pakenham  was  destroying  its  front. 

Marmont  was  succeeded  in  his  command  by  Bonnet, 
who  was  also  wounded,  and  Clausel,  an  able  general,  took 
the  command.  He  reinforced  Maucune  with  his  own  divi- 
sions, which  had  just  arrived,  and,  for  a  while,  restored  the 
battle.  Then,  past  the  right  and  left  of  Pakenham'3 
division,  the  British  cavalry,  under  Le  Marchant,  Anson, 
and  D 'Urban,  burst  through  the  smoke  and  dust,  rode 
down  twelve  hundred  of  the  French  infantry,  and  then 
dashed  on  at  the  line  behind.  Nobly  the  charge  was 
pressed,  the  third  division  following  at  a  run,  and  the 
charge  ceased  not  until  the  French  left  was  entirely  broken 
and  five  guns,  and  two  thousand  prisoners  taken. 

But  forty  minutes  had  passed  since  the  first  gun  was 
fired,  and  the  French  defeat  was  already  all  but  irretriev- 
able, and  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  divisions  now  mime, 
swept  forward  as  to  assured  victory.  Clausel,  however, 
proved  equal  to  the  emergency.  He  reinforced  Bonnet's 
division  with  that  of  Fereij,  as  yet  fresh  and  unbroken, 
and,  at  the  same  moment,  Sarrut's  and  Brennier's  divi- 
sions issued  from  the  forest,  and  formed  in  the  line  of  battle. 
Behind  them  the  broken  troops  of  Maucune's  two  divis- 
ions re-formed,  and  the  battle  was  renewed  with  terrible 
farce. 


258  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

Pack,  at  the  same  moment,  attempted  unsuccessfully  to 
carry  the  French  Hermanito  by  assault  with  his  Portu- 
guese division,  and  the  fate  of  the  battle  was  again  in  the 
balance ;  the  British  divisions  outnumbered,  and  out- 
flanked, began  to  fall  back,  G-enerals  Cole,  Leith,  and 
Spry,  were  all  wounded,  and  the  French  cavalry  threat- 
ened the  flank  of  the  line.  Wellington,  however,  had 
still  plenty  of  reserves  in  hand,  and  at  this  critical  moment 
he  launched  them  at  the  enemy.  The  sixth  division  was 
brought  up  from  the  second  line,  and  hurled  at  the  center 
of  the  enemy  in  a  fierce  and  prolonged  charge,  while  the 
light  and  first  divisions  were  directed  against  the  French 
divisions  which  were  descending  from  the  French  Her- 
manito, and  against  that  of  Foy,  while  the  seventh  divis- 
ion and  the  Spaniards  were  brought  up  behind  the  first 
line.  Against  so  tremendous  an  assault  as  this  the  French 
€ould  make  no  stand,  and  were  pushed  back  in  ever  in- 
creasing disorder  to  the  edge  of  the  forest,  where  Toy's 
and  Maucune's  divisions  stood  at  bay,  and  covered  their 
retreat  in  the  fast  gathering  darkness. 

AVellington  believed  that  he  should  capture  a  great  por- 
tion of  the  beaten  army,  for  he  relied  upon  the  Castle  of 
Alba  de  Formes,  commanding  the  ford  at  that  place,  being 
held  by  the  Spaniards,  but  these  had  evacuated  the  place 
on  the  preceding  day,  and  had  not  even  informed  Welling- 
ton that  they  had  done  so. 

Thus,  hidden  by  the  night,  the  French  retreated  with 
but  slight  loss  from  the  pursuing  columns.  In  the  battle 
the  French  had  forty-two  thousand  men  and  seventy-four 
guns  ;  the  Allies  forty-six  thousand  and  sixty  guns,  but  of 
the  infantry  a  division  were  composed  of  Spaniards,  and 
these  could  not  be  relied  upon  in  any  way.  It  was  prob- 
ably the  most  rapidly  fought  action  ever  known,  and  a 
French  officer  described  it  as  the  defeat  of  forty  thousand 
men  in  forty  minutes.  The  French  loss  was  over  twelve 
thousand  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  and  so  com- 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  259 

pletely  were  they  dispersed  that  Clausal  a  week  after- 
wards could  only  collect  twenty  thousand  to  their  standards. 
It  was  a  great  victory,  and  celebrated  as  the  first  which 
Wellington  had  gained  over  the  French,  for  although  at 
Talavera  and  Busaco  he  had  repulsed  the  French  attack, 
he  was  not  in  either  case  in  a  position  to  do  more  than 
hold  his  ground. 

Throughout  this  short  and  desperate  fight  the  Scuda- 
mores  had  been  fully  engaged  in  conveying  orders  from 
one  part  of  the  field  to  another.  Shot  and  shell  flew 
around  them  in  all  directions,  and  yet  when  they  met  at 
the  end  of  the  action  they  found  that  they  had  escaped 
without  a  scratch.  The  day  following  the  battle  the  pur- 
suit began.  Had  King  Joseph's  advancing  army  united 
with  OlauseFs  broken  troops,  he  could  have  opposed 
Wellington's  advance  with  a  force  far  superior  in  numbers 
to  that  defeated  at  Salamanca.  But  Joseph,  after  hesita- 
ting, fell  back  in  one  direction,  Clausel  retreated  in  an- 
other, the  opportunity  for  concentration  was  lost,  and 
Wellington  found  no  foe  to  bar  his  way  on  his  triumphant 
march  upon  Madrid. 

Joseph  fell  back  from  the  capital  as  the  English  ap- 
proached, leaving  some  thousands  of  men  in  the  strong' 
place  known  as  the  Eetiro,  together  with  an  immense 
amount  of  arms,  ammunition,  and  military  stores  of  all 
kinds,  all  of  which,  including  the  trooj)s,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  English  within  a  few  days  of  their  arrival  at 
Madrid. 

It  was  a  proud  moment  for  the  Scudamores,  as  riding 
behind  Lord  Wellington  they  entered  Madrid  on  the  14th 
August. 

The  city  was  half  mad  with  joy.  Crowds  lined  the 
streets,  while  every  window  and  balcony  along  the  route 
vras  filled  with  ladies,  who  waved  their  scarves,  clapped 
their  hands,  and  showered  flowers  upon  the  heads  of  their 
deliverers.     Those  below,  haggard  and  half-starved,  for 


2G0  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

the  distress  in  Madrid  was  intense,  thronged  round  the 
general's  horse,  a  shouting,  weeping  throng,  kissing  his 
cloak,  his  horse,  any  portion  of  his  equipments  which  they 
could  touch.  Altogether  it  was  one  of  the  most  glorious, 
most  moving,  most  enthusiastic  welcomes  ever  offered  to  a 
general. 

The  next  fortnight  was  spent  in  a  round  of  f ^tes,  bull 
fights,  and  balls,  succeeding  each  other  rapidly,  but  these 
rejoicings  were  but  a  thin  veil  over  the  distress  which  was 
general  throughout  the  town.  The  people  were  starving, 
and  many  deaths  occurred  daily  from  hunger.  The  Brit- 
ish could  do  but  little  to  relieve  the  suffering  which  they 
saw  around  them,  for  they  themselves  were — owing  to  the 
utter  breakdown  of  all  the  arrangements  undertaken  by 
the  Portuguese  government,  and  to  the  indecision  and  in- 
capacity of  the  Home  Government — badly  fed,  and  much 
in  arrears  of  their  pay.  Nevertheless,  the  officers  did  what 
they  could,  got  up  soup  kitchens,  and  fed  daily  many 
hundreds  of  starving  wretches. 

The  heat  was  excessive  and  a  very  great  deal  of  illness 
took  place  among  the  troops.  The  French  were  gathering 
strength  in  the  South,  and  Wellington  determined  upon 
inarching  north  and  seizing  Burgos,  an  important  place, 
but  poorly  fortified.  Leaving  General  Hill  with  two  divi- 
eions  at  Madrid,  he  marched  with  the  rest  of  the  armj 
upon  Burgos* 


TSEE  YOUNG  BUGLEHS.  JZCOL 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

CAUGHT    IN    A    TRAP. 

So  mnch  had  passed  between  the  first  visit  of  the  Scuda- 
mores  to  Madrid  as  Spanish  peasant  boys,  and  their  second 
entry  as  captains  upon  Lord  Wellington's  staff,  that  they 
had  scarcely  given  a  thought  to  the  dangers  they  had  at 
that  time  run,  or  to  the  deadly  hatred  with  which  they 
had  inspired  the  guerilla  chief  l^unez.  When  they  first 
rode  into  the  town,  indeed,  they  had  spoken  of  it  one  to 
the  other,  and  had  agreed  that  it  would  be  pleasant  to  be 
able  to  walk  through  the  streets  without  fear  of  assassina- 
tion ;  for  even,  as  Tom  said,  if  the  scoundrel  had  any  of 
his  band  there,  they  would  not  be  likely  to  recognize  them 
in  their  uniforms. 

One  evening,  however,  when  they  had  been  in  Madrid 
about  a  fortnight,  an  incident  happened  which  caused 
them  to  doubt  whether  their  security  from  the  hatred  of 
the  guerilla  was  as  complete  as  they  had  fancied.  They 
Were  sitting  with  a  number  of  other  officers  in  a  large  cafe 
in  the  Puerta  del  Sol,  the  principal  square  in  Madrid, 
when  a  girl  came  round  begging  ;  instead  of  holding  out 
her  hand  silently  w4th  a  m.urmur  for  charity  in  the  name 
of  the  holy  Virgin,  she  began  a  long  story,  poured  out  in 
rapid  language. 

Several  of  the  officers  present  knew  more  or  less  Spanish, 
but  they  were  unable  to  follow  her  quick  utterances,  and 
one  of  them  said  laughingly,  * '  Scudamore,  this  is  a  case 
for  you,  she  is  beyond  us  altogether.''' 

The  girl  followed  the  direction  of  the  speaker's  eye,  and 


262  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLSB8. 

moved  across  to  the  brothers,  who  happened  to  be  sitting 
next  to  each  other,  and  began  her  story  again.  It  was  a 
complicated  tale  of  French  oppression,  and  the  boys,  in- 
terrupting her  here  and  there  to  ask  for  details,  talked 
with  her  for  some  minutes. 

"I  believe  she  is  lying, '^  Tom  said,  in  English,  ''she 
tells  her  story  as  if  she  had  learned  it  by  heart,  and  gets 
confused  whenever  we  cross-question  her  ;  there,  give  her 
a  few  coppers,  I  am  out  of  change." 

As  Peter  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket  for  the  money, 
Tom  glanced  up  sharply  at  the  girl.  She  was  not,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  watching  Peter's  movements 
with  interest,  but  was  looking  inquiringly  at  some  one  in 
the  crowd  of  promenaders. .  Tom  followed  her  glance, 
and  saw  a  peasant,  standing  half-hidden  behind  a  group 
of  passers,  nod  to  her,  and  motion  her  to  come  to  him. 
She  waited  until  Peter  put  the  coins  into  her  hand  ;  then, 
with  a  brief  word  of  thanks,  she  moved  away  into  the 
crowd. 

"  Peter,  I  believe  those  scoundrels  are  up  to  their  old 
game,  and  that  we  are  watched.  Once  or  twice  since  we 
have  been  sitting  here  I  have  noticed  a  heavy-looking  fel- 
low glance  at  us  very  closely  as  he  passed,  and  I  just  saw 
the  same  fellow,  who  was  evidently  hiding  from  observa- 
tion, nod  to  that  girl,  and  beckon  her  away." 

*'  Her  story  was  a  lie  from  beginning  to  end,"  Peter 
said,  *'  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  it  was  a  got-up  thing, 
ou  purpose  to  see  whether  we  could  talk  Spanish  well.  1 
don't  think  any  one  could  swear  to  us  who  only  saw  us 
then  ;  but  the  fact  of  our  speaking  Spanish  so  well  would 
go  a  long  way  towards  settling  the  point  in  the  mind  of 
any  one  who  suspected  us  ! " 

"  We  must  be  careful  in  future,  Peter,  and  avoid  quiet 
streets  after  dark,  and  keep  a  sharp  look-out  at  all  times, 
or  we  shall  get  a  knife  between  our  ribs,  as  sure  as  fate." 

Time,  however,  passed  on  without  anything  occurring 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLER 8.  263 

to  give  any  support  to  their  suspicion,  they  could  not  dis- 
cover that  they  were  being  watched,  or  their  footsteps 
dogged.  They,  nevertheless,  continued  to  be,  to  a  certain 
extent,  upon  their  guard  after  dark  ;  in  the  daytime  the 
number  of  English  soldiers  about  the  streets  was  so  large 
that  there  was  very  little  danger  of  any  attack. 

On  the  evening  before  the  army  marched  for  Burgos, 
Tom,  whose  turn  it  was  for  duty  at  head-quarters,  received 
a  despatch,  to  carry  to  one  of  the  generals  of  division  en- 
camped a  mile  or  two  out  of  the  town.  He  did  not  need 
to  go  round  to  his  quarters,  as  his  horse  was  standing 
saddled  in  readiness  in  the  court3'ard.  He  was  but  an  hour 
away,  and,  as  he  knew  that  he  would  not  be  farther 
required,  he  rode  round  to  the  house  where  he  was 
quartered.  His  orderly  came  forward  at  his  shout,  and 
took  his  horse,  and  he  mounted  the  broad  stairs  of  the 
house,  which  was  a  very  hnodsome  one,  and  rang  at  the 
door  on  the  second  floor  ;  for  in  Spain,  as  indeed  almost  all 
over  the  Continent,  each  floor  is  a  separate  dwelling. 

Sam  opened  it 

'^  Nothing  new,  Sam  ?  " 

'*  No,  sar,  nothing  new."*' 

Tom  passed  through  the  sitting-room,  and  entered 
Peter's  bedroom.     It  was  in  darkness. 

*'  Asleep,  old  man  ?  '^  he  asked. 

There  was  no  answer.  He  came  back  into  the  sitting- 
room,  where  two  lamps  were  burning,  and  looked  at  his 
watch.  "  Half -past  eleven.  He  is  off  to  bed  early.  Sam, 
bring  me  some  supper  if  you  have  got  anything,  I  am 
hungry. '' 

Sam  came  in,  in  a  minute,  with  a  small  tray. 

*'  How  long  has  my  brother  been  gone  to  bed  ? '' 

*'  Me  did  not  know  he  gone  to  bed  at  all,"  Sam  said,  in 
surprise.     *'  Me  thought  Massa  Peter  been  reading  book.-*' 

Tom  took  up  a  light,  and  went  into  the  bedroom,  it  was 
empty.      *'Sam,  there's  something  wrong  hero  ! "   Tcm 


264  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

said  sharply,  for  a  sudden  sensation  of  alarm  seized  hkn. 
**  Peter  is  not  here/' 

Sam  came  into  the  bedroom,  and  looked  round  in  aston- 
ishment. ''What  become  of  him?''  he  said.  "Where 
de  debil  he  got  to  ?" 

''  That's  what  I  want  to  know,  Sam.  Now,  then,  just 
give  all  your  attention.     What  time  did  he  come  in  ?" 

'^  He  came  in  at  about  nine  o'clock,  sar,  with  three  other 
officers.  Captain  Farquharson,  Major  Heriot,  and  Captain 
Brown.  Dey  have  bottle  wine,  and  sit  here  and  smoke. 
Well,  Massa  Tom,  Sam.  sit  in  his  room,  and  smoke  him 
pipe,  and  he  doze  off  a  little ;  after  a  bit,  may  be  ten 
o'clock,  Sam  hear  dem  move,  and  go  to  door  ;  they  were 
saying  good-night,  when  Massa  Peter  said,  '  I  will  just  go 
down  to  see  that  the  horses  are  all  right.'  Den  dey  all  go 
down  togeder." 

*'  Did  they  shut  the  door  ?  "  Tom  asked. 

"  No,  Massa  Tom,  dey  did  not  shut  de  door,  because,  a 
little  while  after,  Sam,  he  wake  up  wid  little  start ;  he  hear 
de  door  bang,  and  'spose  Massa  Peter  come  back.  Sam  go 
off  to  sleep  again  till  you  ring  bell." 

Tom  looked  very  grave.  "  What  can  Peter  have  gone 
off  with  Farquharson  at  this  time  of  night  for  ?  " 

Then  he  looked  round  the  room,  and  said,  almost  with 
a  cry,  "  Sam,  look  there,  there  are  his  cap  and  sword.  He 
has  not  gone  out  with  the  others  at  all.  What  can  have 
happened  ?  " 

Tom  first  glanced  into  his  own  room,  and  then  ran  down- 
stairs in  haste,  followed  by  Sam,  who  was  now  also 
thoroughly  alarmed.  The  orderly  had  just  made  the 
horse  comfortable  for  the  night,  and  was  leaving  the  stable. 

''  Johnstone,  when  did  you  see  my  brother  ?  " 

**  Well,  it  may  be  an  hour,  or  an  hour  and  a  half  back, 
sir.  He  came  down  with  some  other  officers  ;  I  did  not 
see  them,  but  I  heard  them  talking  for  a  minute  or  two 
before  he  came  in  to  look  at  the  horses,  and  he  asked  it 


THE  YOU  NO  BUGLEBS.  265 

they  were  all  right,  and  said  they  must  be  saddled  by  half- 
past  five,  and  then  he  went  up  again — at  least,  I  suppose 
he  went  up,  for  he  had  not  got  his  cap  on.  Is  anything 
wrong,  sir  ?  '* 

"  I  don't  know,  I  am  afraid  to  think,"  Tom  said,  in  a 
dazed  way.  ''  He  is  not  upstairs  ;  he  has  not  gone  out ; 
what  can  have  become  of  him  ?  " 

He  stood  quiet  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then,  with  a 
great  effort,  brought  his  thoughts  within  control  again. 
*'  The  first  thing  is  to  assure  ourselves  whether  he  returned 
upstairs.  Sam,  fetch  a  lamp,  the  stairs  are  not  lighted, 
and  I  want  to  examine  them." 

Sam  soon  returned  with  the  lamp,  and  Tom,  beginning 
at  the  street  door,  examined  every  step  carefully  all  the 
way  up,  Sam  and  the  soldier  following  him. 

'  ^  There  has  been  no  scuffle  on  the  stairs,*'  he  said  ;  then 
he  went  through  the  little  hall  into  the  sitting-room  again. 
Kothing  appeared  to  have  been  disturbed.  Then  he  looked 
at  the  floor,  which  was  of  polished  oak,  and  knelt  down  to 
examine  it  more  closely.  ^'  There  have  been  men  with 
dirty  shoes  standing  here,"  he  cried.  ''  Do  you  see  the 
marks  on  each  side  of  the  door,  and  there,  do  you  see  that 
scratch  and  that  ?  There  has  been  a  scuffle.  Good 
heavens  !  what  has  taken  place  here  ?  " 

Sam's  face  was  pale  with  apprehension  that  something 
had  happened  to  Peter  ;  but,  he  said,  ''  How  dat  be,  Massa 
Tom,  with  Sam  in  the  next  room  all  the  time  ?" 

Tom  made  no  reply  ;  but  was  closely  examining  the  floor 
— back  across  the  hall.  "  There  is  a  mark  ;  there  is  an- 
other," he  said,  '^  not  made  by  boots,  but  by  their  native 
sandals."  Then  he  went  out  from  the  door,  and  up  the 
next  flight  of  stairs. 

*'  There,"  he  said,  *'  just  as  I  thought."  Just  round  the 
angle  of  the  stairs  two  steps  were  dirty  and  stained,  as  if 
dirty  feet  had  been  -trampling  upon  them  for  some  time. 
**  I  suppose  they  knew  I  was  out,  and  watched  here,  foj 


266  ^SE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

hours,  perhaps.  Then,  when  Peter  went  down,  they 
slipped  in  through  the  open  door,  and  then^^ — without 
completing  the  sentence,  Tom  went  back  into  the  room, 
and  threw  himself  into  a  chair  in  tearless  despair. 

Sam  sobbed  loudly.  For  some  time  there  was  silence. 
^'  There  is  no  blood,  sir,  that  I  can  see,  not  a  speck,^'the 
orderly  said.  '^  They  can't  have  killed  Captain  Scuda- 
more,  and,  if  they  had,  why  should  they  have  carried  his 
body  away  ?  " 

This  was  the  question  Tom  had  been  asking  himself.; 
Assassinations  were,  in  Madrid,  every-day  occurrences,  and 
that  Peter  and  he  were  especially  liable  to  be  murdered, 
owing  to  the  hatred  of  Nunez  and  his  gang,  was  clear ; 
but,  so  far  as  he  could  see,  not  a  drop  of  blood  had  been 
shed  hvvre.  Presently  Sam  began  to  sob  more  loudly. 
*^  Dis  break  my  heart,  Massa  Tom,  to  tink  dat  Sam  be 
next  door  all  de  time,  and,  instead  of  watching,  he  sleep 
so  sound  dat  Massa  Peter  carried  straight  away.'' 

"  You  are  not  to  blame,  Sam,  there  was,  probably,  no 
noise  whatever.  But,  what  can  it  all  mean  ?  Johnstone, 
you  had  better  go  to  bed,  you  can  do  no  good  now.  Sam, 
give  me  my  pistols  ;  take  that  big  stick  of  yours,  and  come 
round  with  me  to  head-quarters,  we  will  call  in  at  Captain 
Farquharson's  on  the  way." 

That  officer,  on  being  roused,  and  made  to  understand 
v>rhat  was  the  matter,  confirmed  the  account  given  by  the 
orderly  ;  he  and  his  companions  had  parted  at  the  street 
door,  and  Peter  had  gone  down  the  yard  to  the  stable. 

"  It  is  clear  that  Peter  has  been  carried  off/'  Tom  said, 
''  and  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  that  it  has  been  done  by 
some  of  the  band  of  Nunez.  As  you  have  heard  me  say, 
they  owe  us  a  grudge,  and  have,  no  doubt,  been  on  the 
look-out  ever  since  we  came  here.  We  have  been  on 
guard,  and  never  gave  them  a  chance,  and,  I  suppose, 
they  got  desperate  when  they  found  the  army  was  moving 
again,  and  so  carried  out  this  audacious  plan/' 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  267 

"  If  your  brother  had  been  found  murdered  I  should 
understand  it/^  Captain  Farquharson  said  ;  "  but,  what  on 
earth  did  they  carry  him  off  for  ?  " 

Tom  was  silent  for  a  minute. 

"  That  fiend,  Nunez,  would  have  had  us  stabbed  if  he 
could  do  nothing  else ;  but  he  would,  if  I  judge  him 
rightly,  be  really  contented  with  nothing  short  of  putting 
us  to  death  himself  in  some  horrible  manner.  My  own 
idea  is,  that  Peter  is  hidden  away  somewhere  near,  will  be 
kept  in  concealment  until  the  road  is  clear,  and  will  then 
be  taken  to  Nunez.  I  must  go  off  and  try  and  save  him 
at  all  hazards." 

Captain  Farquharson  was  silent,  while  Tom  walked  up 
and  down  the  room  thoughtfully. 

**I  don^t  suppose  the  chief  would  refuse  me  leave," 
Tom  said.  '^  If  he  does,  I  must  throw  up  my  commis- 
sion." 

"  No,  no  ;  you  are  sure  to  get  leave  for-such  a  thing  as 
this,  but  the  difficulty  of  the  affair  will  be  to  know  how  to 
proceed.  The  country  will  swarm  with  French,  the  guer- 
illas are  sure  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out,  and  if  you  find  him, 
how  are  you  going  to  rescue  him  ?  " 

"  1  don't  know,"  Tom  said,  "  but  it's  got  to  be  done  ; 
that's  clear.  I  can't  set  out  as  a  Spanish  peasant,"  he 
went  on  after  a  pause.  ^*  They  know  me  as  that  now.  At 
least,  if  I  do  I  must  get  up  as  an  old  man  and  change  my 
appearance.  I  might  go  as  a  woman,  but  I  am  too  tall  in 
the  first  place,  and  then  women  don't  go  wandering  over 
the  country  in  such  times  as  this.  But  there,  I  have  time 
to  think  it  over  before  mxorning.  I  suppose  the  general 
will  be  moving  about  five  o'clock  ;  I  will  see  him  the  first 
thing,  and  tell  him  the  whole  story.     Good-night.'' 

And  so  Tom  went  back  to  his  quarters,  and  sat  thinking 
deeply  until  morning,  while  Sam  sat  gloomily  in  his  little 
room,  sometimes  with  tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  some- 
times muttering  terrible  threats  against  the  guerillas,  at 


268  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

other  times  cursing  himself  for  having  been  asleep  instead 
of  watching  over  his  young  master's  safety.  Tom  had 
briefly  told  him  that  he  intended  to  get  leave  in  order  to 
search  for  Peter.  At  daybreak,  when  he  heard  Tom  mov- 
ing, he  went  into  the  sitting-room. 

*'  Look  here,  Massa  Tom,  Sam  only  one  word  to  say. 
He  going  to  look  for  Massa  Peter.  Sam  know  dat  him 
color  berry  spicuous,  dat  people  look  at  him  and  tink  he 
de  debil.  Sam  don't  spect  he  going  wid  you.  Dat 
wouldn't  do.  Dese  fellows  watch  him,  know  dat  black 
fellow  here.  Only  Sam  go  somehow.  He  trabel  night, 
hide  up  at  day  time.  He  join  you  de  last  ting  when  you 
go  to  mash  up  dem  guerillas  like  squash.  Anyhow,  Sam 
must  go.  If  can  get  leave,  berry  well,  if  not  he  desert. 
Anyhow  he  go,  dat  sartin.  Sam  kill  himself  if  he  stay 
behind." 

Tom  had  already  thought  over  this.  He  was  sure  that 
the  faithful  negro  would  not  remain  behind,  but  he  had 
seen  that  his  companionship  would  be  fatal.  He  had, 
therefore,  formed  some  plan  in  his  head  similar  to  that 
which  Sam  proposed,  and  he  knew  that  when  the  moment 
for  action  came  his  courage,  strength,  and  devotion  would 
be  invaluable. 

*'  You  shall  go,  Sam,"  he  said,  holding  out  his  hand  to 
his  attached  follower.  "  As  you  say,  you  can't  go  with 
me,  but  you  shall  go  somehow." 

*'  Thank  you,  Massa  Tom,"  the  negro  said  gratefully. 
''  You  berry  sure  if  Massa  Peter  die  Sam  die  too." 

Tom  now  went  to  head-quarters,  and  found  that  Lord 
Wellington  was  just  up.  Sending  in  to  say  that  he  wished 
to  speak  with  him  for  a  few  minutes  on  a  matter  of  urgent 
personal  importance,  he  was  admitted,  and  related  as  con- 
cisely as  he  could  Peter's  disappearance,  and  told  the  story 
of  the  affair  with  the  guerillas,  which  accounted  for  the 
intense  desire  for  vengeance  on  the  part  of  Nunez.  He 
ended  by  asking  for  leave  of  absence. 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  269 

The  general  heard  him  to  the  end,  asking  a  brief  ques- 
tion here  and  there. 

^'  You  can  have  the  leave  certainly.  Captain  Scudamore. 
I  know  that  it  is  needless  for  me  to  point  out  the  risks 
that  you  will  run,  both  from  the  French  and  guerillas.  I 
think  that  it  might  be  an  advantage  if  I  give  you  a  note 
which  you  can,  in  case  of  absolute  necessity,  show  to  any 
French  officer." 

So  saying,  the  general  sat  down  and  wrote  as  follows  : — 

''  To  the  French  officer  commanding. — The  Earl  of 
Wellington,  commander-in-chief  of  His  Britannic  Majesty's 
forces  in  Spain,  gives  his  assurance  that  the  bearer  of  this. 
Captain  Scudamore,  although  not  in  English  uniform,  is 
not  engaged  upon  any  mission  connected  wdth  the  army, 
or  to  obtain  information  respecting  the  strength  and  posi- 
tion of  the  French  forces.  His  business  is  entirely  private, 
and  he  is  engaged  in  an  attempt  to  discover  and  rescue  a 
brother  who  has  been  carried  off  by  the  guerilla  chief 
iN'unez  in  order  to  gratify  private  vengeance.  The  Earl  of 
Wellington,  confiding  in  the  natural  courtesy  of  the 
French  nation,  trusts  that  officers  of  that  service  will,  if 
applied  to,  assist  Captain  Scudamore  in  any  way  in  their 
power,  and  he  will  feel  personally  obliged  to  them  by  their 
so  doing/' 

Tom  expressed  his  deep  gratitude  for  this,  which  might, 
he  foresaw,  be  of  inestimable  advantage  to  him. 

*'I  am  taking  my  servant  with  m.e,  sir — the  negro  ;  he 
will  not  travel  with  me  by  day,  but  will  join  me  wherever 
I  tell  him  ;  he  is  very  strong  and  brave,  and  is  deeply  at- 
tached to  us.'' 

"  Yes,  I  remember,"  the  general  said  ;  ''  that  is  the  man 
whose  life  you  saved.     Do  you  leave  at  once  ?" 

^'  No,  sir ;  I  am  thinking  of  riding  with  you  to-morrow 
at  any  rate.  The  route  lies  on  the  way  I  have  to  go,  and 
I  am  sure  to  be  watched  here." 

*' Very  well,"  the  general  said  \  "I  wish  you  good 


£70  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

fortune  ;  but  you  have  a  difficult,  almost  a  desperate, 
service  before  you/^ 

Upon  leaving  head -quarters,  Tom  again  called  on  Cap- 
tain Farquharson. 

^*  Farquharson,  I  hear  that  it  will  be  eleven  before  the 
chief  leaves.  I  wish  you  would  go  to  that  little  shop  op- 
posite the  opera-house  ;  they  have  got  wigs  and  all  that  sort 
of  thing  there.  Please  get  me  two  old  men^s  wigs  and 
beards,  and  one  set  of  those  mutton-chop  shaped  whiskers, 
and  a  woman's  wig.  I  haven't  made  up  my  mind  yet 
what  I  am  going  to  wear,  but  I  want  these  things  to 
choose  from.  I  am  sure  to  be  watched,  and  if  I  were  to 
go  there  they  would  find  out,  five  minutes  afterwards, 
what  I  had  bought.  In  the  meantime  I  am  going  to  the 
head  of  the  police  to  give  notice  of  Peter's  disappearance, 
and  to  ask  him  to  have  the  carts  leaving  the  town  for  the 
next  few  days  searched.  I  have  no  doubt  the  fellows  will 
outwit  the  police,  but  it's  no  use  throwing  away  a  chance.'* 

It  was  six  days  after  this  that  an  old  man,  with  long 
white  hair  and  gray  beard,  and  with  a  box  containing 
cheap  trinkets,  beads,  necklaces,  earrings,  knives,  scissors, 
and  other  like  articles,  was  sitting  ah  the  junction  of  two 
roads  near  the  lower  slopes  of  the  Pyrenees,  some  twenty 
miles  north  of  Vittoria.  He  had  one  of  his  sandals  off, 
and  appeared  to  have  just  risen  from  a  bed  of  leaves  in  the 
forest  behind  him.  The  dawn  had  broken,  but  it  was 
still  twilight.  Presently  he  heard  a  footstep  coming  along 
the  road,  and  at  once  applied  himself  to  wrapping  the 
bandages,  which  serve  for  stockings  to  the  Spanish  peas- 
ant, round  his  leg,  looking  eagerly  from  under  his  wide 
sombrero  to  see  who  was  approaching.  As  the  new-comer 
came  in  sight,  the  pedlar  at  once  ceased  his  employment 
and  rose  to  meet  him.  He  had  recognized  the  figure,  but 
the  face  was  hidden,  the  Spanish  cloak,  worn  as  is  usual  by- 
peasant  and  noble  alike,  with  one  end  thrown  over  the 
shoulder,  hiding  the  chin  and  lower  part  of  the  face,  while 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLEB8.  271 

the  wide  felt  hat,  pressed  well  down  in  front,  allowed 
scarcely  a  glimpse  even  of  the  nose.  That,  however, 
would  have  been  sufficient  in  the  present  case,  for  the  man 
was  a  negro. 

Upon  seeing  the  pedlar  rise,  he  ran  forward  to  meet 
him. 

''Ah,  Massa  Tom,  tank  de  Lord  me  find  you  safe  and 
sound.  I  always  keep  on  tinking  you  taken  prisoner  or 
killed  eider  by  de  French  or  de  robbers^ — one  as  bad  as  de 
oder.^^ 

"  I  have  thought  the  same  of  you,  Sam,  for  your  risk 
has  been  far  greater  than  mine.  Well,  thank  God,  it  is  all 
right  thus  far.  But  come  back  into  the  wood,  I  have  got 
some  food  there,  and  here  any  one  might  come  along.''' 

They  were  soon  deep  in  the  wood,  where,  by  a  pile  of 
grass  and  leaves  which  had  evidently  been  used  as  a  bed, 
was  an  open  wallet,  with  some  bread,  cheese,  cold  meat 
and  a  small  skin  of  wine. 

''Are  3^ou  hungry,  Sam  ?" 

"  Downright  starving,  sar  5  dis  chile  eat  noting  for  two 
days." 

"Why,  how  is  that,  Sam  ;  you  had  six  days' provision 
with  you  when  you  started  ?  " 

"  Dat  true  enough,  sar,  but  Sam's  appetite  bigger  than 
usual,  noting  to  do  all  day  sitting  in  de  woods,  waiting  for 
night  to  come  so  as  to  go  on  again  ;  so  had  to  eat,  and  de 
food  all  went  before  Sam  thought  dat  dere  was  two  more 
days  before  he  meet  you.'' 

"  Well,  sit  down  now,  Sam,  and  eat  away  ;  we  have 
plenty  of  time. 

They  had  much  to  tell  each  other.  They  had  traveled 
by  the  same  road,  one  by  night,  the  other  by  day — Sam 
passing  the  days  sleeping  in  the  woods,  his  master  traveling 
by  day  and  at  night  sleeping  in  wretched  village  posadas. 
He,  too,  would  far  rather  have  slept  in  the  woods,  for  the 
insects  and  filth  made  sleep  almost  impossible  in  these 


272  THE  roUNG  BUGLERS. 

places,  besides  which  he  ran  a  good  deal  of  risk  as  to  the 
discovery  of  his  disguise.  He  had,  however,  chosen  the 
inns  in  hopes  of  hearing  something  which  might  give  him 
a  clue  as  to  the  object  of  his  search.  The  only  information 
which  he  had  gained  was  to  the  effect  that  Nunez  still  had 
his  quarters  at  the  old  place.  He  had  been  driven  out  of 
it,  and  the  village  had  been  burned  by  the  French,  but  the 
position  was  a  convenient  one,  and  the  houses  had  been 
cleared  and  roughly  roofed  with  boughs  of  trees  and  straw, 
and  the  band  was  still  there.  This  much  was  satisfactory, 
and  he  could  hardly  have  expected  to  learn  more,  unless 
he  had  happened  to  meet  some  of  the  members  of  the  band 
itself.  They  had  not  traveled  by  the  main  road,  as  upon 
that  large  forces  of  the  French  were  collected  ;  and  even 
if  Tom  could  have  passed  through  boldly,  Sam  could  not 
have  made  his  way.  Even  by  the  road  they  had  chosen 
Tom  had  met  several  bodies  of  French,  while  at  Vittoria  a 
very  large  force  was  assembling,  destined  for  the  relief  of 
Burgos. 

Sam  had  but  few  incidents  to  relate.  He  had  been  care- 
fully instructed  by  Tom  before  starting  as  to  the  road  he 
should  take,  and  the  position  and  distances  apart  of  the 
towns  and  villages  upon  it.  He  had  traveled  only  at 
night,  and  had  but  once  or  twice  exchanged  a  word  with 
passers  by.  People  did  not  travel  much  at  night  in  so 
disturbed  a  country,  and  when  Sam  heard  a  foot-passen- 
ger approaching,  or,  as  was  more  frequently  the  case,  a 
party  of  French  cavalry,  he  left  the  road  and  lay  down 
until  they  had  passed.  The  one  or  two  foot-passengers 
he  had  met  suddenly  he  had  passed  with  the  usual  Span- 
ish muttered  salutation,  and  the  darkness  and  the  disguise 
prevented  any  recognition  of  his  color. 

"Now,  sar,''  Sam  said,  when  they  had  finished  breakfast^ 
''what  am  to  be  done  next  ?" 

"I  do  not  think,  Sam,  that  the  party  who  have  got 
f  eter  have  arrived  jet.     They  conkl  only  have  started  oa 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  278 

the  day  that  we  did  ;  they  have  as  long  a  road  to  go,  and 
most  likely  they  have  got  a  bullock-cart,  which  won't  travel 
more  than  fifteen  miles  a  day  at  the  outside.  They  have 
got  Peter  in  a  cart  covered  up  with  something,  we  may  be 
sure.  I  don't  think  they  will  be  here  for  another  day  or 
so  at  the  earliest.  If  we  knew  what  sort  of  cart  it  was,  we 
could  attack  them  on  the  way  if  there  are  not  too  many 
of  them  ;  but  unfortunately  we  don't  know  know  that  ; 
and  as  there  are  three  or  four  roads  up  to  the  village,  and 
they  are  sure  to  make  a  detour,  we  don't  know  which 
they  will  come  by.  I  hope  to  learn  at  the  village.  We 
will  stay  where  w^e  are  till  dark,  then  we  will  push  on  ;  it 
is  only  a  couple  of  miles  or  so  from  here.  I  will  steal  into 
the  place  after  dark,  and  try  and  overhear  what  is  going 
on.  You  shall  remain  at  a  point  where  you  can  see  down 
into  the  village  and  can  hear  a  shout.  I  will  give  you  this 
letter  of  Lord  Wellington,  and  if  you  hear  a  pistol  shot 
and  hear  me  shout  SSam  \'  you  will  know  I  am  caught, 
and  must  make  off  as  hard  as  you  can  to  that  small  town 
in  the  plain,  where  there  is  a  French  garrison  ;  ask  for 
the  commanding-officer,  show  this  letter,  and  offer  to  guide 
them  so  as  to  surprise  Nunez  and  his  band.  That  is  our 
sole  chance.  But  I  don't  think  there  is  much  risk  of  being 
caught.  I  shall  be  very  careful,  you  may  rely  upon  it  ; 
and  as  I  know  the  position  of  the  house,  I  shall  be  able  to 
make  my  way  about.  Once  night  has  fallen  they  go  off  to 
bed  ;  and  even  if  I  walked  boldly  about  the  place  I  should 
likely  enough  meet  no  one  all  night." 

That  evening  Tom  entered  the  village  as  soon  as  it  was 
fairly  dark.  He  knew,  from  his  former  experience,  that 
sentries  were  always  placed  at  points  whence  they  could 
get  a  view  of  the  roads,  and  he  made  his  way  so  as  to  avoid 
any  risk  of  observation  by  them  ;  but  when  he  reached  a 
place  whence  he  could  in  turn  view  the  posts  of  the  watch- 
ers, he  found  that  they  were  deserted,  and  concluded  that 
the  brigands  had  become  careless,  from  the  belief  that. 


274  ^SE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

now  the  French  had  once  destroyed  the  village,  they  wonld 
not  be  likely  to  come  up  to  search  for  them  there  a  second 
time  ;  besides  which,  they  might  reckon  that  the  French 
had  their  hands  much  too  full  with  the  advance  of  the 
Allied  Army  to  spare  either  men  or  time  in  raids  upon  the 
guerillas.  In  this  particular,  indeed,  they  would  have  ar- 
gued wrongly,  for  the  French  during  the  whole  war,  how- 
ever much  they  were  pressed  by  Wellington,  always  kept 
sufficient  forces  in  hand  to  scatter  the  guerillas  as  fast  as 
they  become  formidable. 

Tom  had  now  taken  off  his  beard  and  wig,  and  had  put  on 
the  small  whisker,  v/hich  is  the  general  fashion  of  wearing 
the  hair  throughout  Spain.  Thus  he  trusted,  if  surprised 
in  the  dark,  to  pass  as  one  of  the  band.  So  quiet  was  the 
village  when  he  entered,  that  he  ?X  first  thought  it  was 
deserted  ;  at  last,  however,  he  saw  a  light  in  one  of  the 
houses  in  the  center  of  the  village.  Approaching  carefully 
and  noiselessly  he  saw  a  group  of  five  men  sitting  and  drink- 
ing round  a  fire  made  on  the  ground,  in  the  center  of  one 
of  the  windowless  rooms,  the  smoke  finding  its  way  out 
through  the  roof. 

"  I  tell  you,"  one  said,  '*  I  am  getting  sick  of  this  life ; 
I  am  ready  to  go  and  kill  the  French,  but  to  be  left  up 
here,  where  there  is  nothing  to  do,  no  one  to  talk  to,  not 
a  roof  to  cover  one  ;  bah !  I  am  sick  of  it.  But  Nunez 
will  be  back  in  three  days,  and  we  shall  be  merry  enough 
then." 

'*  !N"ot  we,"  another  said,  "  this  was  a  pleasant  village  in 
the  old  days,  what  is  it  now  ?  There  are  no  women,  not  even 
old  mother  Morena,  who  used  to  cook  well,  if  she  was  free 
of  her  tongue.  There  is  not  even  a  priest  now  to  shrive  us 
if  one  is  brought  in  to  die." 

"  Nunez  will  come  back  in  a  good  temper  if  it  is  true 
what  Lope  said  yesterday  when  he  came  through,  that  the 
lads  at  Madrid  had  got  one  of  those  English  boys  who  made 
a  fool  of  him  two  years  ago.    That  was  a  go.    Demonio  I 


THE  rOUNG  BUGLERS.  275 

but  it  was  a  fine  thing.  If  it  is  true  that  they  have  got 
him  and  are  bringing  him  here  I  would  not  be  in  his  skin 
for  all  the  treasures  of  King  Joseph.  Yes,  Nunez  was 
always  a  devil,  but  he  is  worse  now.  Somehow  we  always 
have  bad  luck,  and  the  band  gets  smaller  and  smaller,  I 
don't  suppose  there's  above  fifty  with  him  now.  I  expect 
we  shall  have  them  pretty  well  all  here  this  week." 

''  No  fear  of  a  visit  from  the  French  ?  " 

*'  None  ;  Eeynier  at  Vittoria  is  busy  now  in  sending  every 
man  he  can  spare  forward  to  the  army  that's  gathering 
near  Burgos." 

This  was  enough  for  Tom,  who  stole  silently  away  to  the 
l^ot  where  Sam  was  anxiously  awaiting  him. 


276  TSE  YOUNG  BUGLEB3. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

JUST  m  TIME. 

**I  SHALL  go  straight  back  to  Vittoria^  Sam.  By  what 
they  say.  General  Eeynier  is  in  command  there,  and  as  it 
was  through  his  wife  that  all  this  terrible  business  has  come 
about,  we  have  a  right  to  expect  him  to  do  his  best  to  get 
us  out  of  it.  I  will  start  at  once.  Now  look  here,  Sam. 
You  must  put  yourself  where  you  can  keep  watch  over 
the  village.  If  you  see  any  party  come  in,  either  to-night 
or  to-morrow,  you  must  try  and  discover  if  Peter  is  among 
them.  If  he  is,  light  a  fire  down  in  that  hollow  where  it 
can't  be  seen  from  above,  but  where  we  can  see  it  on  that 
road.  It's  twenty  miles  to  Vittoria ;  if  I  can  get  to  see 
General  Reynier  to-morrow,  I  may  be  back  here  with 
cavalry  by  night ;  if  he  is  out  or  anything  prevents  it,  I 
will  be  here  next  night,  as  soon  after  dusk  as  it  will  be  safe. 
I  will  dismount  the  men  and  take  them  over  the  hill,  so  as 
to  avoid  the  sentinel  who  is  sure  to  be  posted  on  the  road 
when  Nunez  arrives.  If  they  come  in  the  afternoon,  Sam, 
and  you  find  that  anything  is  going  to  be  done  at  once, 
do  everything  you  can  to  delay  matters." 

''  All  right,  Massa  Tom,  if,  when  you  come  back  you 
find  Massa  Peter  dead,  you  be  berry  sure  you  find  dis  chile 
gone  down  too." 

It  was  seven  o'clock  next  morning  when  Tom  entered 
Vittoria,  and  a  few  cautious  inquiries  proved  the  fact  that 
General  Reynier  was  really  in  command  of  the  French  di- 
vision there.  He  at  once  sought  his  head-quarters,  and  after 
gome  talk  with  a  woman  selling  fruit  near  the  house,  heard 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  211 

that  the  general  and  his  staff  had  started  at  daybreak,  but 
whither  of  course  she  knew  not.  Tx)m  hesitated  for  some 
time,  and  then,  seeing  an  officer  standing  at  the  door,  went 
up  to  him  and  asked  if  the  general  would  be  back  soon. 

*'  He  will  be  back  in  an  hour  or  two,"  the  officer  replied 
in  Spanish,  ''  but  it  is  no  use  your  waiting  to  see  him.  He 
has  his  hands  full  and  can't  be  bothered  with  petitions  as 
to  cattle  stolen  or  orchards  robbed.  Wait  till  we  have 
driven  the  English  back,  and  then  we  shall  '.have  time  to 
talk  to  you." 

''  Your  pardon,"  Tom  said  humbly.  "  It  is  not  a  com- 
plaint that  I  have  to  make,  it  is  something  of  real  impor- 
tance which  I  have  to  communicate  to  him." 

"  You  can  tell  me,  I  am  Colonel  Deschamps  ;  it  will  be 
all  the  same  thing  if  your  news  is  really  important." 

"  Thank  you  very  kindly,  senor,  it  must  be  the  general 
himself;  I  will  wait  here."  Thereupon  Tom  sat  down 
with  his  back  to  the  wall  a  short  distance  off,  pulled  out 
some  bread  and  fruit  he  had  bought  in  the  town,  and  began 
quietly  to  eat  his  breakfast.  An  hour  later  a  pretty  carriage 
with  two  fine  horses  drew  up  to  the  door.  It  was  empty, 
and  was  evidently  intended  for  some  one  in  the  house. 
Suddenly,  the  thought  flashed  across  his  mind,  perhaps 
Madame  Reynier  and  her  child  were  there.  It  was  curious 
that  the  thought  had  not  occurred  to  him  before,  but  it 
had  not,  and  he  drew  near,  when  a  sentry  at  the  door  roughly 
ordered  him  to  stand  further  back.  Presently  a  lady  came 
to  the  door,  accompanied  by  a  little  girl.  There  she  stood 
for  a  minute  talking  with  the  officer  with  whom  Tom  had 
spoken.  At  the  moment  a  young  officer  passed  Tom  on 
his  way  to  the  house. 

''  Monsieur,"  Tom  said,  in  French,  ''  do  me  the  favor 
to  place  that  ring  in  the  hands  of  Madame  Reynier.  It  is 
a  matter  of  life  and  death.  She  will  recognize  the  ring, 
it  is  her  own,"  he  added,  as  the  young  officer  in  surprise 
hesitated.    He  was  a  bright  handsome  young  fellow^  and 


278  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

after  a  moment's  pause,  lie  went  np  to  the  lady.  ''  My 
dear  aunt/'  he  said,  "  hera  is  a  mystery.  An  old  Spanish 
beggar  speaks  French,  not  very  good  French,  but  enough 
to  make  out,  and  he  begs  me  to  give  you  this  ring,  which 
he  says  is  yours,  and  which,  by  the  way,  looks  a  valuable 
one.''  Madame  Reynier,  in  some  surprise,  held  out  her 
hand  for  the  ring.  "  It  is  not  mine,"  she  began,  when  a 
Budden  thought  struck  her,  and  turning  it  round  she  saw 
''  a  Louise  Reynier,  toujours  reconnaissante,"  which  sha 
had  had  engraved  on  it,  before  giving  it  to  Tom.  ''  Who 
gave  it  to  you,  Jules  ?  "  she  asked  eagerly. 

"  That  old  pedler,"  Jules  said. 

*'  Bring  him  in,"  Madame  Reynier  said,  "  the  carriage 
must  wait ;  I  must  speak  to  him  and  alone." 

'^  My  dear  aunt,"  began  her  nephew. 

''  Don't  be  afraid,  Jules,  I  am  not  going  to  run  away 
with  him,  and  if  you  are  a  good  boy  you  shall  know  all 
about  it  afterwards,  wait  here,  Louise,  with  your  cousin ;" 
and  beckoning  to  Tom  to  follow  her,  she  went  into  the 
house,  the  two  officers  looking  astounded  at  each  other  as 
the  supposed  Spanish  pedler  followed  her  into  her  sitting- 
room. 

'*  What  is  your  message  ?  "  she  asked. 

Tom's  answer  was  to  remove  his  wide  hat,  wig,  and 
beard. 

''Himself!"  Madame  Reynier  exclaimed,  ''my  pre- 
server," and  she  held  out  both  her  hands  to  him.  "  How 
glad  I  am,  but  oh  !  how  foolish  to  come  here  again,  and— 
and"— she  hesitated  at  the  thought  that  he,  an  EngK^h 
spy,  ought  not  to  come  to  her,  the  wife  of  a  French 
general. 

Tom  guessed  her  thought.  "Even  General  Reynier 
might  succor  us  without  betraying  the  interests  of  his 
country.  Read  that,  madame  ;  it  is  an  open  letter,"  and 
lie  handed  her  Lord  Wellington's  letter. 

She    glanced    through   it  and  turned  pale.      ''  \"our 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  279 

brother !  is  he  in  the  hands  of  the  guerillas  ?    Where  ? 
How?'^ 

"  He  is  in  the  hands  of  that  scoundrel  Nunez  ;  he  swore 
he  would  be  revenged  for  that  day's  work,  and  he  has  had 
Peter  carried  off.     Xo  doubt  to  kill  him  with  torture." 

"  Oh  !  and  it  is  through  me,"  Madame  Reynier  ex- 
claimed, greatly  distressed.  *'Wliat  can  we  do!  Please 
let  me  consult  with  my  friends,  every  soldier  shall  be  at 
four  service,"  and  she  opened  the  door.  "  Colonel  Des- 
shamps,  Jules,  come  here  directly,  and  bring  Louise  with 
fou."  These  officers,  on  entering,  were  struck  dumb  with 
iistonishment  on  finding  a  young  peasant  instead  of  an  old' 
pedler,  and  at  seeing  tears  standing  in  Madame  Reynier's 
eyes.  *'  Louise,"  she  said  to  her  daughter,  "  look  at  this 
gentleman,  who  is  he  ?  " 

The  child  looked  hard  at  Tom  ;  he  was  dressed  nearly 
as  when  she  first  saw  him^-and  as  he  smiled  she  recognizee 
him.  ''  Oh,  it  is  the  good  boy  ! "  she  cried,  and  leaped 
into  Tom's  arms,  and  kissed  him  heartily. 

"  Do  you  think  we  have  gone  mad,  Jules,  Louise  and  I  ? 
This  is  one  of  the  young  English  officers  who  saved  our 
lives,  as  you  have  often  heard  me  tell  you." 

Jules  stepped  forward,  and  shook  Tom's  hand  heartily, 
but  Colonel  Deschamps  looked  very  serious.  "  But,  ma- 
dame,"  he  began,  "  you  are  wrong  to  tell  me* this." 

*'  N"o,  Colonel ; "  Madame  Reynier  said,  ''  here  is  a 
letter,  of  which  this  gentleman  is  the  bearer,  from  Lord 
Wellington  himself,  vouching  for  him,  and  asking  for  the 
help  of  every  Frenchman." 

Colonel  Deschamps  read  it,  and  his  brow  cleared,  and 
he  held  out  his  hand  to  Tom.  "  Pardon  my  hesitation, 
sir,"  he  said  in  Spanish  ;  '*  but  I  feared  that  I  was  placed 
in  a  painful  position,  between  what  I  owe  to  my  country, 
and  what  all  French  soldiers  owe  to  you,  for  what  you  did 
for  Madame  Reynier.  I  am,  indeed,  glad  to  find  that  this 
letter  absolves  me  from  the  former  dutjr.  and  leaves  md^ 


free  to  do  all  I  can  to  discharge  the  latter  debt.  Wher^ 
is  your  brother,  and  why  has  he  been  carried  ofi  ?  I  have 
known  hundreds  of  oar  officers  assassinated  by  these 
Spanish  wolves,  but  never  one  carried  away.  An  English 
officer,  too,  it  makes  it  the  more  strange  !  " 

Tom  now  related  the  story  of  Peter's  abduction  ;  the 
previous  attempts  of  members  of  Nunez's  band  to  aflsas- 
sinate  them,  and  the  reasons  he  had  for  believing  that 
Peter  was  close  to,  if  not  already  at,  the  headquarters  of 
that  desperado. 

''Is  he  still  there?''  Jules  asked.  "We  routed  him 
out  directly  the  general  came  up  here.  My  aunt  declared 
herself  bound  by  a  promise,  and  would  give  us  no  clue  as 
to  the  position  of  the  village,  but  he  had  made  himself 
such  a  scourge,  that  there  were  plenty  of  others  ready  to 
tell ;  if  we  had  known  the  roads,  we  would  have  killed  the 
whole  band,  but  unfortunately  they  took  the  alarm  and' 
made  off.  So  he  has  gone  back  there  again.  Ah  !  there 
is  the  general." 

Madame  Reynier  went  out  to  meet  her  husband,  and 
drawing  him  aside  into  another  room,  explained  the  whole 
circumstance  to  him,  with  difficulty  detaining  him  long 
enough  to  tell  her  story,  as  the  moment  he  found  that  his 
wife  and  child's  deliverer  was  in  the  next  room,  he  desired 
to  rush  off  to  see  him.  The  story  over,  he  rushed  im- 
petuously into  the  room,  where  Tom  was  explaining  his 
plans  to  his  French  friends,  seized  him  in  his  arms,  and 
kissed  him  on  both  cheeks,  as  if  he  had  been  his  son. 

"  I  have  longed  for  this  day  !  "  he  said,  wiping  his  eyes. 
"  I  have  prayed  that  I  might  some  day  meet  you,  to  thank 
you  for  my  wife  and  child,  who  would  have  been  lost  to 
me,  but  for  you.  And  now  I  hear  your  gallant  brother  is 
paying  with  his  life  for  that  good  deed.  Tell  me  what  to 
do,  and  if  necessary  I  will  put  the  whole  division  at  your 
orders." 

*'  I  do  not  think  that  he  will  have  above  fifty  men  with 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  281 

him,  general ;  gay  eighty,  at  the  outside.  Two  squadrons 
of  cavalry  will  be  sufficient.  They  must  dismount  at  the 
bottom  of  the  hill,  and  I  will  lead  them  up.  We  must 
not  get  within  sight  of  the  hill  till  it  is  too  dark  for  their 
look-out  to  see  us,  or  the  alarm  would  be  given,  and  we 
should  catch  no  one.  We  shall  know  if  they  have  arrived, 
by  a  fire  my  man  is  to  light.  If  they  have  not  come,  then 
I  would  put  sentries  on  guard  upon  every  road  leading 
there,  and  search  every  cart  that  comes  up  ;  they  are  sure 
to  have  got  him  hid  under  some  hay,  or  something  of  that 
sort,  and  there  are  not  likely  to  be  more  than  two  or  three 
men  actually  with  it,  so  as  not  to  attract  attention.  It 
will  be  all  right  if  they  do  not  arrive  there  to-day." 

*'  It  is  about  five  hours'  ride  for  cavalry, *'  the  general 
said,  "  that  is  at  an  easy  pace  ;  it  will  not  be  dark  enough 
to  approach  the  hill  without  being  seen  till  eight  o'clock. 
Two  squadrons  shall  be  paraded  here  at  three  o'clock.  I 
will  go  with  you  myself ;  yes,  and  you  shall  go  too,  Jules," 
he  said,  in  answer  to  an  anxious  look  from  his  nephew. 
**  In  the  mean  time  you  can  lend  our  friend  some  clothes ; 
you  are  about  the  same  size." 

"  Come  along,"  Jules  said  laughing  ;  "  I  think  we  can 
improve  your  appearance,"  and,  indeed,  he  did  so,  for  in 
half  an  hour  Tom  returned  looking  all  over  a  dashing 
young  French  hussar,  and  little  Louise  clapped  her  hands 
and  said — 

"  He  does  look  nice,  mamma,  don't  he  ?  Why  can't  he 
stay  with  us  always,  and  dress  like  that  ?  and  we  know 
he's  brave,  and  he  would  help  papa  and  Jules  to  kill  the 
wicked  English." 

There  was  a  hearty  laugh,  and  Jules  was  about  to  tell 
her  that  Tom  was  himself  one  of  the  wicked  English,  but 
Madame  Reynier  shook  her  head,  for,  as  she  told  him  after- 
wards, it  was  as  well  not  to  tell  her,  for  little  mouths 
would  talk,  and  there  was  no  occasion  to  set  every  one 
wondering  and  talking  about  the  visit  of  an  English  officer 


282  ^^S  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

to  General  Reynier.     '*  There  is  no  treason  in  it,  Jules,  still 
one  does  not  want  to  be  suspected  of  treason,  even  by  fools/' 

Sam  watched  all  night,  without  hearing  any  sound  of 
vehicles,  but  in  the  morning  he  saw  that  several  more 
guerillas  had  come  in  during  the  night.  In  the  morning 
parties  of  twos  and  threes  began  to  come  in  from  the 
direction  of  Vittoria,  and  it  was  evident  from  the  shouting 
and  noise  in  the  village  that  these  brought  satisfactory 
news  of  some  kind.  In  the  afternoon  most  of  them  went 
out  again  in  a  body  to  the  wood  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and 
goon  afterwards  Sam  saw  a  cart  coming  along  across  the- 
plain.  Two  men  walked  beside  it,  and  Sam  could  see  one,- 
if  not  two  more  perched  upon  the  top  of  the  load.  Three 
others  walked  along  at  a  distance  of  some  fifty  yards  ahead, 
and  as  many  more  at  about  the  same  distance  behind.  He 
could  see  others  making  their  way  through  the  fields. 
'*  Dis  berry  bad  job,"  Sam  said  to  himself ;  "  me  berry 
much  afraid  dat  Massa  Tom  he  not  get  back  in  time. 
Der's  too  many  for  Sam  to  fight  all  by  himself,  but  he 
must  do  something. '^  Whereupon  Sam  set  to  to  think 
with  all  his  might,  and  presently  burst  into  a  broad  grin. 
*'  Sure  enough  dat  do,''  he  said ;  "now  let  me  arrange  all 
about  what  dey  call  de  pamerphernalia. "  First,  he  emptied 
out  the  contents  of  a  couple  of  dozen  pistol. cartridges  ;  he 
wetted  the  powder  and  rolled  it  up  in  six  cartridges,  like 
equibs,  three  short  ones  and  three  much  longer.  Then  he 
opened  Tom's  kit,  and  took  out  a  small  box  of  paints, 
which  Tom  had  carried  with  him  for  making  dark  lines  on 
his  face,  and  in  other  ways  to  assist  his  disguise.  Taking 
some  white  paint,  Sam  painted  his  eyelids  up  to  his  eye- 
brows, and  a  circle  on  his  cheeks,  giving  the  eyes  at  a 
short  distance  the  appearance  of  ghastly  saucers. 

*'  Dat  will  do  for  de  present,"  he  said  ;  "  now  for  busi- 
ness. If  dey  wait  till  it  get  dark,  all  right ;  if  not,  Sam 
do  for  Nunez  and  two  or  three  more,  and  den  go  down  with 
Massa  Peter  I  ** 


TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  283 

Then  carefully  examining  the  priming  of  the  pair  of 
pistols,  which  he  carried — the  very  pistols  given  to  Peter 
by  the  passengers  of  the  Marlborough  coach — he  prepared 
to  set  out. 

It  was  now  six  o'clock,  and  he  calculated  that  the  wag- 
on would  by  this  time  have  mounted  the  hill,  and 
reached  the  village  ;  he  had  already  collected  a  large  heap 
of  dry  sticks  and  some  logs,  at  the  point  Tom  had  pointed 
out,  these  he  now  lit,  and  then  started  for  the  top  of  the 
hill.  Looking  back,  just  as  he  reached  the  crest,  he  could 
see,  knowing  where  it  was,  a  very  light  smoke  curling  up 
over  a  clump  of  trees  which  intervened  between  him  and 
the  fire,  but  it  was  so  slight  that  he  was  convinced  that  it 
would  not  be  noticed  by  an  ordinary  observer.  Sam  saw 
at  once,  on  reaching  the  top  of  the  hill,  that  the  guerillas 
were  crowded  round  the  wagon,  which  stood  at  the  edge 
of  a  small  clump  of  trees  in  the  middle  of  the  village. 
The  moment  was  favorable,  and  he  at  once  started  forward, 
sometimes  making  a  detour  so  as  to  have  the  shelter  of  a 
tree,  sometimes  stooping  behind  a  low  stone  wall,  until  he 
reached  the  first  house  in  the  village.  It  was  now  com- 
paratively easy  work,  for  there  were  inclosures  and  walls, 
the  patches  of  garden-gi'ound  were  breast-high  with  weeds, 
and,  stooping  and  crawling,  Sam  soon  reached  a  house 
close  to  the  wagon.  It  was  a  mere  hut,  and  had  not  been 
repaired.  The  roof  was  gone,  but  the  charred  shutters 
and  doors  still  hung  on  their  hinges.  It  was  the  very  place 
from  which  to  see  without  being  seen.  Sam  entered  by  a 
door  from  behind,  and  found  that,  through  a  slight  open- 
ing in  the  window-shutter,  he  could  see  all  that  was  going 
on.  Some  fifty  guerillas  was  standing  or  sitting  in  groups 
at  a  distance  of  twenty  yards. 

In  the  center  of  the  groups,  lying  on  the  ground,  was  a 
figure  which  he  at  once  recognized  as  Peter.  It  was  wound 
round  and  round  with  ropes ;  beside  it  stood,  or  rather 
danced,  Nunez  pouring  forth  strings  of  abuse,  of  threat;;^ 


281  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

and  of  curses,  and  enforcing  them  with  repeated  kicks  i 
the  motionless  figure. 

'^De  debil  \'*  muttered  Sam,  ''me  neber  able  to  stana 
dis.  If  you  not  stop  dat,  Massa  Nunez,  me  put  a  bullet 
through  dat  ugly  head  of  yours,  as  sure  as  you  stand  dere. 
But  me  mustn't  do  it  till  last  ting  ;  for,  whether  I  kill  him 
or  not,  it's  all  up  with  Massa  Peter  and  me  if  I  once  fire/* 

Fortunately  Nunez  was  tired,  and  in  a  short  time  he 
desisted,  and  threw  himself  down  on  the  ground.  *'Tako 
off  his  ropes,  one  of  you,''  he  said  :  "  there  would  be  no 
fear  of  his  running  away  had  he  three  or  four  days  to  live, 
instead  of  as  many  hours.  Take  the  gag  out  of  his  mouth, 
throw  some  water  over  him  to  bring  him  round,  and  pour 
some  wine  down  his  throat.  I  want  him  to  be  fresh,  so 
as  to  be  able  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  we  have  in  store  for 
him.     And  now  let's  have  dinner." 

Sam  felt  that  for  another  hour  at  least  Peter  was  safe, 
and  therefore,  with  the  same  precaution  as  before,  he  crept 
away  from  his  hiding-place,  through  the  village,  and  over 
the  hill-crest,  to  the  place  where  he  had  made  his  fire. 
The  logs  were  burning  well,  but  gave  out  but  little  smoke. 
Sam  looked  at  the  sky.  ''Dusk  cum  on  berry  fast,"  he 
said ;  "  another  hour  Massa  Tom  come  on  with  soldiers. 
If  he  see  fire,  he  hurry  up  sharp."  So  saying,  Sam  heaped 
on  a  pile  of  wood,  and  then  made  his  way  back.  He  knew 
that  Tom  would  not  approach  until  it  was  too  dark  for  the 
movements  of  the  troops  to  be  seen  by  the  look-outs,  and 
that  he  could  not  be  expected  to  reach  the  village  until 
fully  an  hour  after  dark.  "  Just  another  hour  and  a  half," 
he  said  to  himself  ;  "  ebery  thing  depend  upon  what  hap- 
pen before  dat  time. "  It  was  quite  dusk  before  he  regained 
the  shelter  of  the  cottage.  He  had  gone  round  by  the 
wagon,  and  had  taken  from  it  a  large  stable-fork,  mutter- 
ing as  he  did  so,  "  Golly  !  dis  de  berry  ting."  Close  by 
he  saw  the  carcase  of  a  bullock  which  the  guerillas  had 
just  slaughtered,  and  from  this  he  cut  off  the  horns  and  taiU 


THE  TOUNQ  BUGLERS.  285 

When  Sam  peeped  out  through  the  shutter  he  saw  that 
Bomething  was  going  to  be  done.  Nunez  was  sitting 
smoking  a  cigarette,  with  a  look  of  savage  pleasure  in  his 
face,  while  the  men  heaped  up  a  large  fire  in  front  of  the 
trees. 

'^  I  don't  like  dat  gentleman's  look,"  Sam  said  to  him- 
self. ''  It's  time  dis  chile  begin  to  dress  for  de  panto- 
mime, dat  quite  plain.  Massa  Tom  get  here  too  late/' 
Thus  saying,  Sam  began  to  deliberately  undress. 

Peter,  his  arms  and  feet  still  bound,  was  sitting  with  his 
back  against  a  tree,  watching  what  were,  he  was  convinced, 
the  preparations  for  his  death.  For  the  last  ten  days  he 
had  lived  in  a  sort  of  confused  and  painful  dream.  From 
the  moment,  when,  upon  entering  his  room  two  hands 
suddenly  gripped  his  throat,  others  thrust  a  gag  in  the 
mouth,  and  then  blindfolded  him,  while  some  one  from  be- 
hind lashed  his  arms  to  his  side,  and  then  altogether,  lift- 
ing him  like  a  log,  carried  him  downstairs  and  threw  him 
into  a  cart,  he  had  not  till  now  seen  anything.  The  ban- 
dage had  never  been  removed  from  his  eyes,  or  the  corda 
from  his  limbs.  Sometimes  he  had  been  made  to  sit  up, 
and  soup  and  wine  had  been  poured  down  his  throat,  or  a 
piece  of  bread  thrust  into  his  mouth ;  then  he  had  been 
again  gagged  and  thrown  into  a  cart.  Over  him  brush- 
wood and  fagots  had  been  piled,  and  there  he  had  lain, 
until  at  night  a  stop  was  made,  when  he  was  taken  out,  fed, 
and  then  thrust  back  again  and  covered  over. 

From  the  first  he  had  never  doubted  who  were  his  cap- 
tors, or  what  was  his  destination,  and  he  therefore  experi- 
enced no  surprise  whatever,  when,  on  his  arrival  at  the 
village,  on  the  bandage  being  taken  off  his  eyes,  he  saw 
where  he  was.  That  it  was  useless  to  beg  for  mercy  of 
the  savages  into  whose  power  he  had  fallen  he  knew  well 
enough,  and  he  looked  as  calm  and  indifferent,  as  if  he  did 
not  hear  a  word  of  the  threats  and  imprecations  which 
Nunez  was  heaping  on  him. 


286  1"^^  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

^'^  Yon  see  that  fire,"  the  enraged  guerilla  said,  ''there 
yon  shall  be  roasted  !  English  pig  that  yon  are  !  Bnt  not 
yet.  That  were  too  quick  a  death  !  Here/'  he  said  to  his 
followers,  '^  make  a  little  fire  by  the  side  of  the  big  one — 
there  under  the  arm  of  that  tree  ;  and  put  on  plenty  of 
green  leaves  :  we  will  smoke  our  pig  a  bit  before  we  roast 
him!" 

Peter  still  eyed  him  unflinchingly.  He  was  determined 
that  no  pain  should  wring  a  complaint  or  prayer  for  mercy. 
Even  now  he  did  not  quite  despair,  for  he  thought  that 
he  had  just  one  chance  of  life.  He  was  sure  that  Tom 
would  move  heaven  and  earth  to  save  him.  He  reckoned 
that  he  would  at  once  guess  who  had  carried  him  off,  and 
with  what  object ;  and  he  felt  that  Tom  would  be  certain 
to  set  off  to  his  rescue.  All  this  he  had  reflected  over  in 
his  long  days  of  weary  suffering,  and  from  the  moment 
that  he  was  unbandaged,  and  propped  against  the  tree,  he 
had  listened  attentively  for  any  unusual  sound.  How 
Tom  could  rescue  him  he  did  not  see.  He  was  so  utterly 
crippled,  from  his  long  confinement,  that  he  knew  that  it 
would  be  hours,  perhaps  days,  before  he  could  walk  a 
step;  yet,  still  he  thought  it  possible  that  Tom  might 
try  ;  and  he  feared  more  than  he  hoped,  for  he  trembled 
lest,  if  Tom  were  really  there,  that  he  would  do  some  rash 
thing,  which  would  involve  him  in  his  fate.  ''  Whether 
Tom  is  here  or  not,"  Peter  thought  as  he  looked  unflinch- 
ingly at  Nunez,  "  one  thing  is  certain,  if  I  know  my 
brother,  you  will  not  have  m^any  days  to  live  after  me,  for 
Tom  will  follow  you  all  over  Spain,  but  he  will  avenge  me 
at  last ! "  Such  were  Peter's  thoughts,  and  so  likely  did 
he  think  it  that  Tom  was  present,  that  he  was  scarcely 
surprised  when  he  heard,  as  from  the  ground  behind  him, 
a  well-known  voice. 

''  Massa  Peter,  you  keep  up  your  heart.  Sam  here, 
Massa  Tom  he  be  here  in  another  half  hour  with  French 
soldiers.      If  dey  go  to  kill  you  before  dat,   Sam  play 


-  Y.B.  ••  Until  Peter  swung,  head  downward,  over  the  Fire,"— Page  287. 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLEHS.  287 

dem  trick.  Can  you  run,  Massa  Peter,  if  I  cut  de 
cord?'' 

^^No,  Sam/' 

"  Dat  bad  job.  Neber  mind,  Massa  Peter,  you  keep  up 
your  heart.  Sam  keep  quiet  as  long  as  he  can,  but  when 
de  worst  come  Sam  do  de  trick  all  right.'* 

'^  Don't  show  yourself,  Sam.  It  would  only  cost  you 
your  life,  and  couldn't  help  me ;  besides,  it  would  put 
them  on  their  guard.  They  won't  kill  me  yet.  They 
will  smoke  me,  and  so  on,  but  they  will  make  it  last  as 
long  as  they  can.'' 

Peter  was  able  to  say  this,  for  at  the  moment  Nunez 
was  occupied  in  rolling  and  lighting  a  second  cigarette. 
Peter  received  no  answer,  for  Sam,  seeing  some  guerillas 
bringing  sticks  and  leaves  to  make  a  fire,  as  Nunez,  had 
ordered,  crept  back  again  into  the  deep  shadow  behind. 
The  fire  was  now  giving  out  volumes  of  smoke,  a  guerilla 
climbed  up  the  tree  and  slung  a  rope  over  it,  and  three 
others  approached  Peter.  His  heart  beat  rapidly  ;  but  it 
was  with  hope,  not  fear.  He  knew,  from  the  words  of 
Nunez,  that  at  present  he  was  not  going  to  be  burned, 
but,  as  he  guessed,  to  be  hung  over  the  smoke  until  he 
was  insensible,  and  then  brought  to  life  again  with  buckets 
of  water,  only  to  have  the  suffocation  repeated,  until  it 
pleased  Nunez  to  try  some  fresh  mode  of  torture. 

It  was  as  he  imagined.  The  rope  was  attached  to  his 
legs,  and  amid  the  cheers  of  the  guerillas,  two  men  hauled 
upon  the  other  end  until  Peter  swung,  head  downwards, 
over  the  fire.  There  was  no  flame,  but  dense  volumes  of 
pungent  smoke  rose  in  his  face.  For  a  moment  his  eyes 
smarted  with  agony,  then  a  choking  sensation  seized  him, 
his  blood  seemed  to  rush  into  his  head,  and  his  veins  to 
be  bursting  :  and  there  was  a  confused  din  in  his  ears  and 
a  last  throb  of  pain,  and  then  he  was  insensible. 

"  That's  enough  for  the  present/'  Nune«  said ;  '^  cut 
him  down." 


288  THE  YOUNG  BUGLEB8, 

The  men  advanced  to  do  so,  but  paused,  with  astonish- 
ment, for  from  behind  the  great  fire  was  a  loud  yell— ■ 
*'  Yah,  yah,  yah  !  " — each  louder  than  the  last,  and  then, 
leaping  throngh  the  flames  appeared,  as  they  supposed, 
the  devil.  Sam's  appearance  was  indeed  amply  sufficient  to 
strike  horror  in  the  minds  of  a  band  of  intensely  super- 
stitious men.  He  had  entirely  stripped  himself,  with  the 
exception  of  his  sandals,  which  he  had  retained  in  order 
to  be  able  to  ran  freely  ;  on  his  head  were  two  great  horns  ; 
in  one  hand  he  held  a  fork,  and  in  the  other  what  ap- 
peared to  be  his  tail,  but  which  really  belonged  to  the 
slaughtered  bullock.  From  his  mouth,  his  horns,  and  the 
end  of  his  tail  poured  volumes  of  fire,  arising,  it  needs  not 
to  say,  from  the  squibs  he  had  prepared.  The  great  white 
circles  round  the  eyes  added  to  the  ghastliness  of  his  ap- 
pearance, and  seeing  the  terrible  figure  leap  apparently 
from  the  flames,  it  is  no  wonder  that  a  scream  of  terror 
rose  from  the  guerillas.  Whatever  a  Spanish  peasant  may 
believe  about  saints  and  angels,  he  believes  yet  more  im- 
plicitly in  a  devil.  Black,  with  horns,  and  a  tail — and  here 
he  was— -with  these  appendages  tipped  with  fire  !  Those 
who  were  able  turned  and  fled  in  terror,  those  who  were 
too  frightened  to  run  fell  on  their  knees  and  screamed  for 
mercy,  while  one  or  two  fell  insensible  from  fear.  Taking 
the  squibs  from  his  mouth,  and  giving  one  more  startling 
yell,  to  quicken  the  fugitives,  Sam  made  two  strides  to 
where  Peter  was  hanging,  cut  the  rope,  and  lowered  him 
dov/n. 

Nunez  had  at  first  joined  in  the  flight,  but  looking  over 
his  shoulder  he  saw  what  Sam  was  doing.  His  rage  and 
frenzy,  at  the  thought  of  being  cheated  of  his  victim,  even 
by  the  evil  one  himself,  overcame  his  fear,  and  he  rushed 
back,  shouting,  ''  He  is  mine !  He  is  mine  !  I  won't 
give  him  to  you  ! "  and  fired  a  pistol  almost  in  Sam's  face. 
The  ball  carried  away  a  portion  of  one  of  Sam's  ears,  and 
with  a  yell,  even  mere  thrilling  than  those  he  had  given 


^  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  289 

before,  he  plunged  his  pitchfork  into  the  hody  of  the 
guerilla,  then,  exerting  all  his  immense  strength,  he  lifted 
him  upon  it,  as  if  he  had  been  a  truss  of  straw,  took  three 
steps  to  the  great  bonfire  and  cast  the  brigand  into  it. 

There  was  a  volume  of  sparks,  a  tumbling  together  of 
big  logs,  and  the  most  cruel  of  the  Spanish  guerillas  had 
ceased  to  exist. 

This  awful  sight  completed  the  discomfiture  of  the  guer- 
illas— some  hearing  their  chiefs  shouts  and  the  sound  of 
his  pistol  had  looked  round,  but  the  sight  of  the  gigantic 
fiend  casting  him  into  the  fire  was  too  much  for  them. 
With  cries  of  horror  and  fear  they  continued  their  flight  •, 
a  few  of  them,  who  had  fallen  on  their  knees,  gained 
strength  enough,  from  fear,  to  rise  and  fly ;  the  rest  lay 
on  their  faces.  Sam  saw  that  for  the  present  all  was  clear, 
and  lifting  up  Peter's  still  insensible  body,  as  if  it  had  no 
weight  whatever,  he  turned  and  went  at  a  brisk  trot  out 
of  the  village,  then  over  the  crest  and  down  towards  the 

fire. 

Then  he  heard  a  ring  of  metal  in  front  of  him,  and  a 
voice  said,  *'  Qui  vive ! "  while  another  voice  said,  ''  Is 
that  you,  Sam  ?  '* 

*'  Bress  de  Lord  !  Massa  Tom,  dis  is  me  sure  enough : 
and  what  is  much  better,  here  is  Massa  Peter.'* 

^' Thank  God!''  Tom  said  fervently.  ''Is  he  hurt? 
Why  don't  you  speak,  Peter  ?  " 

''  He  all  right,  Massa  Tom.  He  talk  in  a  minute  or 
two.  ^  Now  smoke  choke  him,  he  better  presently.  Here, 
massa,  you  take  him  down  to  fire,  pour  a  little  brandy 
down  his  throat.  Now,  massa  officer,  I  lead  de  way  back 
to  village." 

As  Tom  took  Peter  in  his  arms  a  sudden  fire  of  mus- 
ketry was  heard  down  on  the  road. 

*'  Our  fellows  have  got  them,"  Jules  said.  "  I  don't 
know  what  has  alarmed  them,  but  they  are  running 
away  !" 


290  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

"  Push  forward,"  General  Reynier  said,  "  and  give  no 
quarter  !  Jules,  keep  by  the  negro,  and  see  that  he  comes 
to  no  harm.     The  men  might  mistake  him  for  a  guerilla/* 

The  night  was  pitch  dark,  and  the  extraordinary  ap- 
pearance of  Sam  could  not  be  perceived  until  after  scour- 
ing the  village  and  shooting  the  few  wretches  whom  they 
found  there,  they  gathered  round  the  fire.  Before  reach- 
ing it,  however,  Sam  had  slipped  away  for  a  moment  into 
the  hut  where  he  had  stripped  ;  here  he  quickly  dressed 
himself,  removed  the  paint  from  his  face,  and  rejoined 
the  group,  who  were  not  a  little  surprised  at  seeing  his 
black  face. 

In  a  short  time  the  parties  who  had  been  posted  on  all 
the  various  roads  came  in,  and  it  was  found  that  they  had 
between  them  killed  some  thirty  or  forty  of  the  brigands, 
and  had  brought  in  two  or  three  prisoners. 

''Have  you  killed  or  taken  Nunez?"  General  Reynier 
asked.  ''Our  work  is  only  half  done  if  that  scoundrel 
has  escaped." 

"  I  have  asked  the  prisoners,"  one  of  the  officers  said, 
"and  they  tell  an  extraordinary  story,  that  the  devil  has 
just  thrown  him  into  the  fire  ! " 

"  What  do  they  mean  by  such  folly  as  that,''  the  gen- 
.eral  asked  angrily.     "  Were  they  making  fun  of  you  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  they  were  certainly  serious  enough  over  it,  and 
they  were  all  running  for  their  lives  when  they  fell  into 
our  hands ;  they  had  been  horribly  frightened  at  some- 
thing." 

"  Ask  that  fellow  there,"  the  general  said,  pointing  to 
a  prisoner  who  had  been  brought  in  by  another  detach- 
ment, "he  cannot  have  spoken  to  the  others." 

The  man  was  brought  forward,  and  then  Jules  asked 
him  in  Spanish  :  "  What  were  you  all  running  away  for  ?  " 

The  man  gave  a  glance  of  horror  at  the  fire.  "  The 
devil  came  with  his  pitchfork,  fire  came  out  of  his  mouth, 
his  tail  and  his  horns  were  tipped  with  sparks,  the  captain, 


feed  at  him,  of  course  the  bullet  did  no  good,  and  the 
devil  put  his  fork  into  him,  carried  him  to  the  fire,  and 
threw  him  in." 

Jules  and  some  of  the  other  young  officers  burst  out 
laughing,  but  the  general  said  : — 

''Humph  !  We  can  easily  prove  a  portion  of  the  story. 
See  if  there  are  any  human  remains  in  that  fire." 

The  wind  was  blowing  the  other  way,  but  as  a  sergeant 
went  up  to  the  fire  in  obedience  to  the  general's  order,  he 
said : — 

"  There  is  a  great  smell  of  burnt  flesh  here,  and,  sap- 
risti,  yes,"  as  he  tossed  over  the  logs  with  his  foot  "  there 
is  a  body  here,  sir,  pretty  well  burnt  up." 

**  It's  a  curious  story,"  the  general  said.  "  Where  is 
that  negro,  perhaps  he  can  enlighten  us  ?" 

But  Sam  had  already  left  to  look  after  Peter. 

''Jules,  put  these  fellows  against  that  wall  and  give 
them  a  volley,  then  march  the  men  down  to  the  wood  v/here 
their  horses  are.     We  will  bivouac  here  for  the  night." 

A  party  now  brought  up  Peter,  who  had  quite  come 
round,  but  was  unable  to  stand,  or  indeed  to  move  his  arms, 
so  injured  was  he  by  the  ropes,  which  had  completely  cut 
their  way  into  his  flesh.  Hov/ever,  he  was  cheerful  and 
bright,  and  able  really  to  enjoy  the  supper  which  was  soon 
prepared.     That  done.  General  Reynier  said  : — 

"  Captain  Scudamore,  will  you  call  your  black  man  when 
he  has  finished  his  supper,  which,  no  doubt,  he  needs  ? 
I  want  him  to  tell  me  what  took  place  before  we  arrived. 
The  prisoners  were  full  of  some  cock-and-bull  story,  that 
the  devil  had  stuck  his  fork  into  their  captain  and  pitched 
him  into  the  fire,  and  the  story  is  corroborated,  at  least  to 
the  extent  of  the  fact  that,  on  turning  the  fire  over,  we 
found  a  body  there." 

Sam,  called  and  questioned,  told  the  whole  story,  which 
Tom  translated  as  he  went  on  to  the  French  officers,  and 
it  was  received  with  a  chorus  of  laughter  at  the  thought 


292  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

of  the  oddity  of  Sam's  appearance,  and  of  the  brigands* 
terror,  and  with  warm  admiration  for  the  able  stratagem 
and  courage  shown  by  the  black. 

Tom  was  delighted,  and  Peter,  who  had  until  now  been 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  been 
saved,  feebly  pressed  Sam's  hand  and  said  a  few  words  of 
gratitude  and  thanks,  which  so  delighted  Sam  that  he  re- 
tired to  cry  quietly. 

The  next  day  they  moved  down  to  Vittoria,  where  Peter 
was  tenderly  nursed  by  Madame  Reynier.  A  week  later 
he  was  fit  to  sit  on  horseback,  and  the  next  day,  after  a 
hearty  and  affectionate  parting,  they  started  to  rejoin  their 
own  army.  Both  were  now  dressed  as  Spanish  gentlemen, 
and  Jules,  with  four  troopers  accompanied  them  as  an 
escort. 

They  made  a  long  detour  to  avoid  the  French  army  in 
the  field  under  Clause!,  and  at  last  came  within  sight  of 
the  British  outposts.  Here  Jules  and  his  escort  halted, 
and  after  a  warm  embrace  with  the  merry  young  Frenchman, 
they  rode  forward,  and,  after  the  usual  parleying  with  the 
pickets,  were  passed  forward  to  the  officer  commanding 
the  post.  He  happened  to  be  well  known  to  them,  and 
after  the  first  surprise,  and  a  few  words  of  explanation, 
they  rode  on  towards  the  head-quarters  of  the  army  be« 
sieging  Burgos. 


mM  YOUISG  BU0LEB3.  293 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


VITTORIA. 


General  Clausil  fell  back  as  Wellington  advanced  to 
Burgos,  and  the  British  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of  that 
place.  Like  all  Wellington's  sieges  this  was  commenced 
with  a  wholly  insufficient  train  of  artillery,  and  without 
the  time  necessary  to  carry  out  regular  siege  operations. 
A  considerable  portion  of  the  army  were  posted  so  as  to 
watch  Clausel.  The  place  was  badly  fortified,  but  the 
French  under  Governor  Dubreton  defended  themselves 
with  immense  skill  and  courage,  the  English  assaults  were 
repulsed,  successful  sorties  were  made  by  the  garrison,  and 
at  last,  after  the  failure  of  the  fourth  assault,  the  siege 
was  given  up,  and  the  allied  armies  turned  their  faces  once 
more  towards  Portugal. 

It  was  time  ;  the  operations  in  the  south  upon  which 
Wellington  had  relied  to  keep  at  least  a  portion  of  the 
French  forces  engaged,  had  failed  signally,  and  the  French 
generals  were  bringing  up  their  troops  from  all  parts  of 
Spain,  and  General  Souham,  having  under  him  Generals 
Clausel,  Maucune,  and  Foy,  with  a  force  far  superior  to 
that  of  the  British,  advanced  to  give  battle.  Then  Wel- 
lington, whose  Anglo-Portuguese  troops  were  much  weak- 
ened by  sickness,  fell  back  rapidly,  sending  orders  to 
General  Hill,  who  commanded  the  troops  left  behind  in 
Madrid,  to  evacuate  that  city,  and  to  fall  back  and  unite 
with  him  on  the  Tormes. 

It  was  only  by  some  masterly  maneuvering  and  some  stiff 
fighting  at  Venta  de  Pozo,  on  the  Carrion,  and  on  the 


294  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

Hnebra,  that  Wellington  drew  off  his  army  to    Ciudad 
Bodrigo. 

During  the  retreat  the  British  suffered  very  severely, 
and  the  discipline  of  the  army  became  greatly  impaired, 
so  much  so  that  Lord  Wellington  issued  a  general  order 
rebuking  the  army,  saying  that  ''  discipline  had  deterior- 
ated during  the  campaign  in  a  greater  degree  than  he  had 
ever  witnessed  or  read  of  in  any  army,  and  this  without 
any  unusual  privation  or  hardship,  or  any  long  marches/' 

The  number  of  stragglers  may  be  imagined  by  the  fact 
that  the  loss  of  the  allied  army  was  upwards  of  nine  thou- 
sand, of  whom  not  more  than  two  thousand  were  killed 
and  wounded  at  Burgos,  and  in  the  combats  during  the 
retreat.  This  number  includes  the  Spanish  as  well  as  the 
Anglo- Portuguese  loss. 

It  was  the  beginning  of  December  when  the  allied  army 
reached  their  winter  quarters  around  Ciudad  Rodrigo.  It 
was  fortunate  that  the  season  of  the  year,  and  the  necessity 
which  the  French  had  to  refill  their  magazines,  and  collect 
food,  gave  breathing  time  and  rest  to  the  British.  Al- 
though strengthened  by  his  junction  with  Hill,  and  by  the 
arrival  of  reinforcements  from  the  coast,  Wellington  was 
not  in  a  position  to  have  made  a  stand  against  such  a  force 
as  the  French  could  have  brought  against  him. 

Tom  and  Peter  Scudamore  had  rejoined  the  army  at  the 
hottest  part  of  the  siege  of  Burgos,  and  had  taken  up  their 
work  at  once.  Lord  Wellington  heard  from  Tom  a  brief 
account  of  what  had  taken  place,  and  said  a  few  kind 
words  expressive  of  his  pleasure  at  their  both  having 
escaped  from  so  great  a  peril,  and,  grave  and  preoccupied 
as  he  was  with  the  position  of  his  army,  he  yet  laughed  at 
the  account  of  the  scare  Sam  had  given  the  guerillas. 
Among  their  friends  nothing  was  talked  of  for  a  day  or 
two  but  their  adventure.  The  times  were  stirring,  how- 
ever, and  one  event  rapidly  drove  out  another.  Sam  be- 
came a  greater  favorite  than  ever  among  the  officers  of  the 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  295 

staff,  while  the  orderlies  were  never  tired  of  hearing  how 
he  pretty  nearly  frightened  a  band  of  guerillas  to  death  by 
pretending  to  be  the  evil  one  in  person. 

The  next  four  months  were  passed  in  preparations  for 
the  grand  attack  with  which  Wellington  confidently  hoped 
to  drive  the  French  out  of  Spain.  The  news  of  the  defeat 
of  Napoleon  in  Russia  had  cheered  the  hearts  of  the 
enemies  of  France,  and  excited  them  to  make  a  great  effort 
to  strike  a  decisive  blow.  The  French  army  was  weakened 
by  the  withdrawal  of  several  corps  to  strengthen  the 
armies  which  Napoleon  was  raising  for  his  campaign  in 
Germany,  and  British  gold  had  been  so  freely  spent,  that 
the  Portuguese  army  was  now  in  a  really  efficient  state  ;  a 
portion  of  the  Spanish  army  had  been  handed  over  to  Wel- 
lington, and  were  now  in  a  far  more  trustworthy  condition 
than  they  had  been  heretofore,  while  the  whole  of  the 
north  of  Spain  was  in  a  state  of  insurrection,  which  the 
French,  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts,  were  unable  to  repress. 

The  invasion  was  delayed  until  the  end  of  May,  in  order 
that  the  crops  might  be  in  a  fit  state  for  the  subsistence  of 
the  cavalry  and  baggage  animals  ;  but  in  the  last  week  iu 
that  month  all  was  ready,  and,  in  several  columns,  the 
allied  army  poured  into  Spain  nearly  a  hundred  thousand 
strong.  The  French,  ignorant  alike  of  Wellington's  inten- 
tions and  preparations,  were  in  no  position  to  stem  effect- 
ually this  mighty  wave  of  war,  and  were  driven  headlong 
before  it,  with  many  fierce  skirmishes,  until  their  scattered 
forces  were,  for  the  most  part,  united  on  the  Ebro. 

Here  Joseph  occupied  a  strong  position,  which  he  thought 
to  hold  until  the  whole  of  his  troops  could  come  up  ;  but 
Wellington  made  a  detour,  swept  round  his  right,  and  the 
French  fell  back  in  haste,  and  took  up  their  position  in 
the  basin  of  Vittoria,  where  all  the  stores  and  baggage 
which  had  been  carried  off  as  the  army  retreated  from 
Madrid,  Valladolid,  Burgos,  and  other  towns,  were  col- 
lected.   At  Vittoria  were  gathered  the  Court,  and  aa 


g96  TEE  YOUNG  BUGLEM. 

enormous  mass  of  fugitives,  as  all  the  Spaniards  who  had 
adhered  to  the  cause  of  Joseph  had,  with  their  wives  and 
families,  accompanied  the  French  in  their  retreat.  Hence 
the  accumulation  of  baggage  animals,  and  carts,  of  stores 
of  all  descriptions,  of  magazines,  of  food  and  artillery,  of 
helpless,  frightened  people,  was  enormous,  and,  for  the 
retreat  of  the  army  in  case  of  defeat,  there  was  but  one 
good  road,  already  encumbered  with  baggage  and  fugi- 
tives ! 

This  terrible  accumulation  arose  partly  from  the  fault  of 
Joseph,  who  was  wholly  unequal  to  the  supreme  command 
in  an  emergency  like  the  present.  Confused  and  be- 
wildered by  the  urgency  of  the  danger,  he  had  hesitated, 
wavered,  and  lost  precious  time.  By  resistance  at  any  of 
the  rivers,  which  "Wellington  had  passed  unopposed,  he 
might  easily  have  gained  a  few  days,  and  thus  have  al- 
lowed time  for  the  great  mass  of  fugitives  to  reach  the 
French  frontier,  and  for  Foy  and  Clausel,  each  of  whom 
were  within  a  day's  march  upon  the  day  of  the  battle,  to 
have  arrived  with  a  reinforcement  of  20,000  good  fighting 
men.  Instead  of  this,  he  had  suffered  himself  to  be  out- 
flanked day  after  day,  and  his  army  forced  into  retreat, 
without  an  effort  at  resistance — a  course  of  action  irritating 
and  disheartening  to  all  troops,  but  especially  to  the 
French,  who,  admirable  in  attack,  are  easily  dispirited, 
I  and  are  ill  suited  to  defensive  warfare. 

The  position  which  he  had  now  chosen  for  the  battle,  on 
which  his  kingdom  was  to  be  staked,  was  badly  selected 
for  the  action.  The  front  was,  indeed,  covered  by  the 
river  Zadora,  but  this  was  crossed  by  seven  available  bridges, 
none  of  which  had  been  broken  down,  while  there  was  but 
the  one  good  line  of  retreat,  and  this,  besides  being -already 
encumbered  with  baggage-wagons,  could  be  easily  turned 
by  the  allies.  The  French  army,  weakened  by  5000  men, 
who  had  marched  upon  the  preceding  days,  in  charge  of- 
convoys  for  France,  were  still  about  70,000  strong,  the  allies 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  2S7 

—British,  Portngnese,  and  Spanish — about  80,000.  The 
French  were  the  strongest  in  artillery. 

Wellington,  seeing  that  Joseph  had  determined  to  stand 
at  bay,  made  his  arrangements  for  the  battle.  On  the  left, 
Graham,  with  20,000  men,  was  to  attempt  to  cross  the 
Zadora  at  Gamara  Mayor,  when  he  would  find  himself  on 
the  main  road,  behind  Vittoria,  and  so  cut  the  French  line 
of  retreat.  Hill,  with  a  like  force,  was  to  attack  on  the 
right,  through  the  defile  of  Puebla,  and  so,  entering  the 
basin  of  Vittoria,  to  threaten  the  French  right,  and  obtain 
possession  of  the  bridge  of  Nanclares.  In  the  center,  "Wel- 
lington himself,  with  30,000  troops,  would  force  the  four 
bridges  in  front  of  the  French  center,  and  attack  their 
main  position. 

At  daybreak  on  the  21st  of  June,  1813,  the  weather  being 
rainy  with  some  mist,  the  troops  moved  from  their  quarters 
on  the  Bayas,  passed  in  columns  over  the  bridges  in  front, 
and  slowly  approached  the  Zadora.  About  ten  o'clock. 
Hill  seized  the  village  of  Puebla,  and  commenced  the 
passage  of  the  defile,  while  one  of  the  Portuguese  battalions 
scaled  the  heights  above.  Here  the  French  met  them,  and 
a  fierce  fight  ensued  ;  the  French  were  reinforced  on  their 
side,  while  the  71st  Regiment  and  a  battalion  of  light  in- 
fantry joined  the  Portuguese. 

Villatte's  division  was  sent  from  the  French  center  to 
join  the  fray,  while  Hill  sent  up  reinforcements.  While 
the  fight  on  the  heights  still  raged,  the  troops  in  the  defile 
made  their  way  through,-  and,  driving  the  French  back, 
won  the  village  of  Subijano  de  Alava,  in  front  of  the  French 
main  position. 

Meanwhile,  far  to  the  left,  Graham  came  into  action  with 
Eeille's  division  at  Gamara  Mayor.  The  French  here,  know- 
ing the  vital  importance  of  the  position,  fought  desperately, 
and  the-  village  of  Gamara  was  taken  and  retaken  several 
times,  but  no  effort  upon  the  part  of  the  allies  sufficed  to 
carry  either  the  bridge  at  this  place  or  that  by  which  th^ 


^98  TBE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

main  road  crossed  the  river  higher  up.  A  force,  horrover, 
was  pushed  still  farther  to  the  left,  and  there  took  up  a 
position  on  the  road  at  Durana,  drove  back  a  Franco- 
Spanish  force  which  occupied  it,  and  thus  effectively  cut 
the  main  line  of  retreat  to  France  for  Joseph's  army.  The 
main  force  under  Wellington  himself  was  later  in  coming 
into  action,  the  various  columns  being  delayed  by  the  dif- 
ficulties of  making  their  way  through  the  defiles. 

While  waiting,  however,  for  the  third  and  seventh  divi- 
sions, which  were  the  last  to  arrive,  a  peasant  informed 
Wellington  that  the  bridge  of  Tres  Pnentes  was  unbroken 
and  unguarded.  Kempt's  brigade  of  the  light  division 
were  immediately  ordered  to  cross,  aad,  being  concealed  by 
the  inequalities  of  the  ground,  they  reached  it  and  passed 
over  unobserved,  taking  their  place  under  shelter  of  a 
crest  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  French  main  line 
of  battle,  and  actually  in  rear  of  his  advanced  posts. 

Some  French  cavalry  now  advanced,  but  no  attack  was 
made  upon  this  isolated  body  of  British  troops,  for  the 
French  were  virtually  without  a  commander. 

Joseph,  finding  his  flank  menaced  by  the  movements  of 
Graham  and  Hill,  now  ordered  the  army  to  fall  back  to  a 
crest  two  miles  in  the  rear,  but  at  this  moment  the  third 
and  seventh  divisions  advanced  at  a  run  towards  the  bridge 
of  Mendoza,  the  French  artillery  opened  upon  them,  the 
British  guns  replied,  a  heavy  musketry  fire  broke  out  on 
both  sides,  and  the  battle  commenced  in  earnest.  Now 
the  advantage  gained  by  the  passage  of  Kempt's  brigade  be- 
came manifest,  for  the  riflemen  of  his  division  advanced  and 
took  the  French  advanced  cavalry  and  artillery  in  flank. 
These,  thus  unexpectedly  attacked,  fell  back  hastily,  and  a 
brigade  of  the  third  division  took  advantage  of  the  moment 
and  crossed  the  bridge  of  Mendoza.  The  other  brigade 
forded  the  river  a  little  higher  up,  the  seventh  division  and 
Vandeleur's  brigade  of  the  light  division  followed.  Hill 
pushed  the  enemy  farther  back,  and  the  fourth  division 


TBB  70Vm  BU0LEB8.  Mft 

crossed  by  tlie  bridge  of  Nanclares ;  other  troops  forded 
the  river,  and  the  battle  became  general  all  along  the  line. 

Seeing  that  the  hill  in  front  of  Arinez  was  nearly  denuded 
of  troops  by  the  withdrawal  of  Villatte's  division  earlier  in 
the  day  to  oppose  Hill,  Wellington  launched  Picton  with 
the  third  division  and  Kempt's  brigade  against  it,  and  the 
French,  thus  attacked  with  great  strength  and  fury,  and 
dispirited  by  the  order  to  retreat,  began  to  fall  back.  Fitty 
pieces  of  artillery  and  a  cloud  of  skirmishers  covered  the 
movement,  and  the  British  guns  answering,  the  whole  basin 
became  filled  with  a  heavy  smoke,  under  cover  of  which  the 
French  retired  to  the  heights  in  front  of  Gomecha,  upon 
which  their  reserves  were  posted.  Picton  and  Kempt 
carried  the  village  of  Arinez  with  the  bayonet,  Vandeleur 
captured  the  village  of  Margarita,  and  the  87th  Regiment 
won  that  of  Hermandad. 

This  advance  turned  the  flank  of  the  French  troops  near 
Subijana  de  Alava,  and  of  those  on  the  Puebla  mountain, 
and  both  fell  back  in  disorder  for  two  miles,  until  they 
made  a  junction  with  the  main  body  of  their  army.  Still 
the  British  troops  pressed  forward,  the  French  again  fell 
back,  and  for  six  miles  a  running  fight  of  musketry  and 
artillery  was  kept  up,  the  ground  being  very  broken,  and 
preventing  the  concerted  action  of  large  bodies  of  troops. 
At  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  French  stood  at  bay  on 
th«  last  heights  before  Vittoria,  upon  which  stood  the 
villages  of  Ali  and  Armentia.  Behind  them  was  the  plain 
upon  which  the  city  stood,  and  beyond  the  city  thousands  of 
carriages,  animals,  and  non-combatants,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, were  crowded  together  in  the  extremity  of  terror  as 
the  British  shots  rang  menacingly  over  their  heads. 

The  French  here  defended  themselves  desperately,  and 
for  a  while  the  allied  advance  was  checked  by  the  terrible 
fire  of  shot  and  shell.  Then  the  fourth  division  with  a  rush 
carried  a  hill  on  the  left,  and  the  French  again  commenced 
th^ir  retreat.     Joseph,  finding  the  great  road  absolutely 


300  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

blocked  up,  gave  orders  for  a  retreat  by  the  road  to  Salva- 
tierra,  and  the  army,  leaving  the  town  of  Vittoria  on  its 
left,  moved  off  in  a  compact  mass  towards  the  indicated 
road.  This,  however,  like  the  other,  was  choked  with 
carriages.  It  led  through  a  swamp,  and  had  deep  ditches 
on  each  side;  the  artillery,  therefore,  had  to  cut  their 
traces  and  leave  their  guns  behind  them,  the  infantry  and 
cavalry  thrust  aside  the  encumbrances  and  continued  their 
march.  Reille,  who  had  defended  the  upper  bridges  nobly 
until  the  last  moment,  now  came  up,  and  his  division  acting 
as  a  rear  guard,  covered  the  retreat,  and  the  French  retired 
with  little  further  loss. 

They  had  lost  the  battle  solely  and  entirely  from  the  utter 
incapacity  of  their  general,  for  their  loss  had  been  but  little 
greater  than  that  of  the  allies,  and  they  fell  back  in  perfect 
order  and  full  of  fighting.  The  French  loss,  including 
prisoners,  was  not  more  than  6000,  and  that  of  the  allies 
exceeded  5000.  The  French  loss,  however,  in  material  was 
enormous.  They  carried  off  two  guns  only,  and  143  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  British.  They  lost  all  their  parks  of 
ammunition,  all  their  baggage,  all  their  stores,  all  their 
treasures,  all  their  booty.     Last  of  all,  they  lost  Spain. 

The  British  pursued  the  French  army  for  soma  days, 
and  then  invested  the  two  fortresses  of  San  Sebastian  and 
Pampeluna. 

Ten  days  after  the  battle  of  Vittoria,  Napoleon  de- 
spatched Soult,  one  of  the  best  of  his  generals,  to  displace 
Joseph  and  assume  the  supreme  command  of  the  French 
troops.  Traveling  with  great  speed,  he  reached  the  fron- 
tier upon  the  11th  of  July  and  took  command.  He  soon 
collected  together  the  divisions  which  had  retired  beaten 
but  not  routed  from  Vittoria,  drew  together  the  troops  from 
Bayonne  and  the  surrounding  towns,  and  in  a  few  days 
found  himself  at  the  head  of  an  army,  including  the  gar- 
risons, of  114,000  men.  Besides  these  there  were  the 
armies  of  Aragon  and  Catalonia,  numbering  60,000  men. 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  301 

After  spending  a  few  days  in  organizing  the  army,  Soult 
moved  forward  to  relieve  Pampeluna,  and  then  in  the 
heart  of  the  Pyrenees  were  fought  those  desperate  comhats 
at  Maya,  Roncevalles,  Buenza,  Sauroren,  and  Dona  Maria, 
which  are  known  in  history  as  the  battles  of  the  Pyrenees. 
In  these  terrible  nine  days'  fighting  there  were  ten  serious 
combats,  in  which  the  allies  lost  7300  men,  the  French, 
including  prisoners,  over  15,000,  and  Soult  fell  back  baffled 
and  beaten  across  the  frontier. 

Throughout  this  account  of  the  short  and  sanguinary 
campaign  by  which  in  two  short  months  Wellington  shat- 
tered the  power  of  the  French  and  drove  them  headlong 
from  the  Peninsula,  but  little  has  been  said  respecting  the 
doings  of  the  Scudamores.  Their  duties  had  been  heavy, 
but  devoid  of  any  personal  achievements  or  events.  Wel- 
lington, the  incarnation  of  activity  himself,  spared  no  one 
around  him,  and  from  early  dawn  until  late  at  night  they 
were  on  horseback,  carrying  orders  and  bringing  back  re- 
ports. -  At  night  their  quarters  were  sometimes  in  a  village 
hut,  sometimes  in  a  straggling  chateau,  which  afforded  ac- 
commodation to  the  commander-in-chief  and  his  whole 
staff. 

Sam,  a  good  horseman  now,  was  in  the  highest  of  spirits 
at  being  able  to  accompany  his  masters,  and,  although  the 
Spanish  women  crossed  themselves  in  horror  when  they 
first  saw  his  black  face,  the  boys  would  hear  shouts  of 
laughter  arising  before  they  had  been  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
in  fresh  quarters.  He  was  a  capital  cook,  and  a  wonderful 
hand  at  hunting  up  provisions. 

There  miorht  not  be  a  smn  of  a  feathered  creature  in  a 
village  when  the  staff  came  in,  but  in  half  an  hour  Sam 
would  be  sure  to  return  from  foraging  with  a  couple  of 
fowls  and  his  handkerchief  full  of  eggs.  These  were,  of 
course,  paid  for,  as  the  orders  against  pillaging  were  of  the 
strictest  character,  and  the  army  paid,  and  paid  hand- 
somely for  everything  it  ate. 


802  TBB  YOUNG  BUGLER. 

It  was,  however,  difficult  to  persuade  the  peasants  that 
payment  was  intended,  and  they  would  hide  everything 
away  with  vigilant  care  at  the  approach  of  the  troops. 
When  by  the  display  of  money  they  were  really  persuaded 
that  payment  was  intended,  they  would  produce  all  that 
they  had  willingly  enough,  but  the  number  of  officers 
wanting  to  purchase  was  so  great  and  the  amount  of  live 
stock  so  small  in  the  war-ravaged  country,  that  few  indeed 
could  obtain  even  for  money  anything  beside  the  tough 
rations  of  freshly-killed  beef  issued  by  the  commissariat. 

Let  the  supply  be  ever  so  short,  however,  Sam  never 
returned  empty-handed,  and  the  fowls  were  quickly 
plucked  and  on  the  fire  before  any  one  else  had  succeeded 
in  discovering  that  there  was  a  bird  in  the  village. 

Sam's  foraging  powers  passed  into  a  joke  with  the  staff, 
and  the  Scudamores  became  so  curious  to  discover  the  rea- 
son of  his  success,  that  after  repeated  questioning  they 
persuaded  him  to  tell  them. 

*'  Well,  massa,  de  matter  berry  simple — just  easy  as 
fallin'  off  log.  Sam  go  along,  look  into  yard  ob  de  cot- 
tages, presently  see  feather  here,  feather  there.  Dat  sign 
ob  fowl.  Den  knock  at  door.  Woman  open  always,  gib 
little  squeak  when  she  see  dis  gentleman's  colored  face. 
Den  she  say,  '  What  you  want  ?  Dis  house  full.  Quarter- 
master take  him  up  for  three,  four  officer.'  Den  Sam  say, 
'Illustrious  madam,  me  want  to  buy  two  fowls  and  eggs 
for  master,'  and  Sam  show  money  in  hand.  Den  she  hesi- 
tate a  little,  and  not  believe  Sam  mean  to  pay.  Den  she 
say,  *  No  fowls  here.'  Den  Sam  point  to  de  feathers.  Den 
she  get  in  rage  and  tell  lie  and  say,  *  Dem  birds  all  stole 
yesterday."  Den  Sam  see  it  time  to  talk  to  de  birds — he 
know  dem  shut  up  somewhere  in  de  dark,  and  Sam  he  be- 
gin to  crow  berry  loud  ;  Sam  berry  good  at  dat.  He  crow 
for  all  de  world  like  de  cock.  Dis  wake  dem  up,  and  a 
minute  one,  two,  three,  half  a  dozen  cock  begin  to  answer 
©ider  from  a  loft  ober  house,  or  from  shed,  or  from  some- 


THE  YOUNG  HUGLERS,  SOS 

where.  Den  de  woman  in  terrible  fright,  she  say,  '  Me 
gell  you  two  quick,  if  you  will  go  away  and  swear  you  tell 
no  one.'  Den  Sam  swear.  Den  she  run  away,  come  back 
wid  de  fowls  and  some  eggs,  and  always  berry  much  as- 
tonished when  Sam  pay  for  dem.  After  dat  she.  lose  her 
fear,  she  see  me  pay,  and  she  sells  de  chickens  to  oders 
when  they  come  till  all  gone.  Dat  how  dis  chile  manage 
de  affairs,  Massa  Tom.'' 

The  Scudamores  had  a  hearty  laugh,  and  were  well 
pleased  to  find  that  Sam's  method  was  one  to  which  not 
even  the  strictest  disciplinarian  could  object,  a  matter  con- 
cerning which  they  had  previously  had  grave  doubts. 

While  thc"  battles  of  the  Pyrenees  were  being  fought,  the 
siege  of  St.  Sebastian  had  continued,  and  once  again  the 
British  troops  had  suffered  a  terrible  loss,  from  the  attempt 
to  carry  a  fortress  with  an  insufficient  siege-train,  and 
without  the  time  necessary  to  drive  the  trenches  forward 
in  regular  form.  St.  Sebastian  stood  upon  a  peninsula. 
In  front  of  the  neck  of  this  peninsula  was  the  hill  of  San 
Bartholomeo,  on  which  stood  the  convent  of  that  name. 
At  the  narrowest  part  of  the  neck  stood  a  redoubt,  which 
was  called  the  Cask  Redoubt,  because  it  was  constructed 
of  casks  filled  with  stand.  Behind  this  came  the  horn- 
work  and  other  fortifications.  Then  came  the  tov\'n,  while 
at  the  end  of  the  peninsula  rose  a  steep  rock,  called  Mount 
Orgullo,  on  which  stood  the  citadel.  Upon  its  left  side 
this  neck  of  land  was  separated  from  the  mainland  by  the 
Eiver  Urumea  ;  and  upon  the  heights  of  Mount  Olia  and 
the  Chofres,  across  the  Urumea,  were  placed  the  British 
batteries,  which  breached  the  fortifications  facing  the  river. 

General  Graham  commanded  the  allied  forces,  which 
were  detached  to  undertake  the  siege,  and  on  the  10th  of 
July  batteries  were  commenced  against  the  convent  of  San 
Bartholomeo,  which  had  been  fortified  by  the  French.  On 
the  17th  the  convent  was  in  ruins,  and  an  assault  was  made 
upon  the  position.     The  9th  Regiment  took  the  place  ia 


304  5rH^  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

gallant  style,  but  an  attempt  being  made  to  carry  the  cask 
redoubt,  with  a  rush,  the  assault  was  repulsed,  the  British 
remaining  possessors  of  San  Bartholomeo. 

On  the  24th  the  batteries  on  Mount  Olia,  having  effected 
what  was  believed  to  be  a  practicable  breach,  2000  men  of 
the  fifth  division,  consisting  of  the  3d  battalion  of  the 
Royals,  the  38th,  and  the  9th,  made  an  assault  at  night. 
To  arrive  at  the  breach  they  had  to  make  their  way  along 
the  slippery  rocks  on  the  bed  of  the  Urumea,  exposed  to  a 
flank-fire  from  the  river-wall  of  the  town.  The  breachers 
had  been  isolated  from  the  town,  and  guns  placed  to  take 
the  stormers  in  flank.  The  confusion  and  slaughter  were 
terrible,  and  at  daybreak  the  survivors  fell  back,  with  a 
loss  of  forty-nine  officers  and  520  men. 

The  whole  arrangement  of  the  siege  was  bad.  The  plan 
of  Major  Smith,  of  the  engineers,  a  most  excellent  officer, 
which  had  been  approved  by  Wellington,  was  not  followed, 
and  the  assault,  contrary  to  Wellington's  explicit  order, 
took  place  at  night,  instead  of  by  day,  the  consequence 
being  confusion,  delay,  and  defeat.  The  total  loss  to  the 
allies  of  this  first  siege  of  St.  Sebastian  was  1300  men. 

Neither  of  the  Scudamores  were  present  at  the  first  siege^i 
but  both  witnessed  the  second  assault,  of  the  31st  of 
August,  as  Wellington  himself  was  present  on  the  30th, 
to  see  to  the  execution  of  the  preparation  for  attack,  and 
they  obtained  leave  to  remain  for  the  next  day  to  witness 
the  assault.  The  siege  had  been  resumed  on  the  5th  of 
that  month,  and  on  the  23d  the  batteries  had  opened  fire 
in  earnest,  and  immense  damage  was  done  to  the  defenses 
and  garrison.  But  upon  this  occasion,  as  upon  the  former 
one,  the  proper  precautions  were  not  taken  ;  no  lodgment 
had  been  effected  in  the  horn-work,  and,  worst  of  all,  the 
blockade  had  been  so  negligently  conducted  by  the  fleet, 
that  large  bodies  of  fresh  troops,  guns,  and  ammunition 
had  been  passed  in,  and  the  defense  was  even  stronger 
than  it  had  been  when  the  first  assault  was  delivered* 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  305 

Oeneral  Graham  took  up  his  position  on  the  heights  of 
the  Chofres  to  view  the  assault,  and  the  Scudamores  sta- 
tioned themselves  near  him.  A  dense  mist  hid  the  fortress 
from  view,  and  it  was  not  until  eight  o'clock  that  the  bat- 
teries were  able  to  open.  Then  for  three  hours  they 
poured  a  storm  of  shot  and  shell  upon  the  defences.  The 
Scudamores  sat  down  in  one  of  the  trenches,  where  they 
were  a  little  sheltered  from  the  blazing  heat  of  the  sun, 
and  Sam  took  his  place  at  a  short  distance  from  them. 

As  the  clock  struck  eleven  the  fire  slackened,  and  at 
that  moment  Sam  exclaimed,  "  Golly,  Massa  Tom,  dere 
dey  go.''  As  he  spoke  Robinson's  brigade  poured  out  from 
the  trenches,  and,  passing  through  the  openings  in  the 
eea-wall,  began  to  form  on  the  beach. 

It  was  known  that  the  French  had  mined  the  angle  of 
the  wall  overhanging  the  beach,  and  a  sergeant,  followed 
by  twelve  men,  dashed  gallantly  forward  to  try  to  cut  the 
train  leading  to  the  mine.  He  was  unsuccessful,  but  the 
suddenness  of  the  rush  startled  the  French,  who  at  once 
fired  the  mine,  which  exploded,  destroying  the  brave  ser- 
geant and  his  party,  and  thirty  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
column,  but  not  doing  a  tithe  of  the  damage  which  it 
would  have  inflicted  had  the  column  been  fairly  under  it. 

"  Hurrah  !  dere  dey  go,"  Sam  exclaimed  as  the  column 
clambered  over  the  ruins  and  pursued  its  way  unchecked 
along  the  beach.  They  had,  however,  to  make  their  way 
under  a  storm  of  fire. 

The  French,  as  before,  lined  the  wall,  and  poured  a  tre- 
mendous musketry  fire  into  their  flank,  and  the  batteries 
of  Mount  Orgullo  and  St.  Elmo  plied  them  with  shot  and 
shell,  while  two  pieces  of  cannon  on  the  cavalier  and  one 
on  the  horn-work  raked  them  with  grape. 

Still  the  column  neither  halted  nor  faltered,  but  dashed, 
like  a  wave,  up  the  breach.  When,  however,  they  reached 
the  top  they  could  go  no  farther.  A  deep  gulf  separated 
them  from  the  town,  while  from  every  loop-hole  and  wail 


g06  T'HJ^  YOtJNO  BUGLM8. 

behind^  the  French  musketry  swept  the  breach.  The 
troops  could  not  advance  and  would  not  retreat,  but  sul- 
lenly stood  their  ground,  heaping  the  breach  with  their 
dead.  Fresh  bodies  of  men  came  up,  and  each  time  a 
crowd  of  brave  men  mounted  the  breach,  only  to  sink  down 
beneath  the  storm  of  fire. 

''  This  is  awful,  horrible,  Tom  ! "  Peter  said  in  a  choked 
voice.  "  Come  away,  I  can^t  look  at  this  slaughter,  it  is 
a  thousand  times  worse  than  any  battle." 

Tom  made  no  reply,  his  own  eyes  were  dim  with  tears, 
and  he  rose  to  go,  taking  one  more  look  at  the  deadly 
breach,  at  whose  foot  the  survivors  of  the  last  attempt  had 
sunk  down,  and  whence  the  mass  of  soldiers  were  keep- 
ing up  a  musketry  fire  against  the  guns  and  unseen  foes 
who  were  sweeping  them  away,  when  an  officer  ran  up 
from  General  Graham's  side,  and  in  a  minute  fifty  guns 
from  the  Chofres  batteries  opened  a  storm  of  fire  upon  the 
curtain  and  the  traverses  behind  the  breach. 

It  was  a  terrible  trial  to  the  nerves  of  the  assaulting  col- 
umns when  this  terrific  fire  was  poured  upon  a  spot  only 
twenty  feet  above  them  ;  but  they  were  not  men  to  shrink, 
and  the  men  of  the  light  division  seized  the  opportunity 
to  pull  up  the  broken  masonry  and  make  a  breastwork, 
known  in  military  terms  as  a  lodgment. 

For  half  an  hour  the  iron  storm  poured  overhead  un- 
checked, smashing  the  traverse,  knocking  down  the  loop- 
holed  walls,  and  killing  numbers  of  the  defenders.  Then 
it  ceased,  and  the  troops  leapt  to  their  feet,  and  again 
rushed  up  the  breach,  while  the  13th  Portuguese  Regi- 
ment, followed  by  a  detachment  of  the  24th,  waded  across 
the  Urumea  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  castle,  and  at- 
tacked the  third  breach. 

But  still  no  entry  could  be  effected.  The  French  fire 
was  as  heavy  as  ever,  and  the  stormers  again  sank  baffled 
to  the  foot  of  the  great  breach.  The  assault  seemed  hope- 
less, the  tide  was  rising,  the  reserves  were  all  engaged,  ajxd 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  307 

the  men  had  done  all  that  the  most  desperate  courage 
could  do.  For  five  hours  the  battle  had  raged;,  when,  just 
as  all  appeared  lost,  one  of  those  circumstances  occurred 
which  upset  all  calculations  and  decide  the  fate  of  battles. 

Behind  the  traverses  the  French  had  accumulated  a 
great  store  of  powder  barrels,  shells,  and  other  combusti- 
bles. Just  at  this  moment  these  caught  fire.  A  briglit 
flame  wrapped  the  whole  wall,  followed  by  a  succession  of 
loud  explosions  ;  hundreds  of  French  grenadiers  were  de- 
stroyed, and  before  the  smoke  had  cleared  away,  the  Brit- 
ish burst  like  a  flood  through  the  first  traverse. 

Although  bewildered  by  this  sudden  disaster,  the  French 
rallied,  and  fought  desperately  ;  but  the  British,  desperate 
with  the  long  agony  of  the  last  five  hours,  would  not  be 
denied  ;  the  light  division  penetrated  on  the  left,  the  Port- 
uguese on  the  right.  The  French,  still  resisting  obsti- 
nately, were  driven  through  the  town  to  the  line  of  de- 
fense at  the  foot  of  Mount  Orgullo,  and  the  town  of  St. 
Sebastian  was  won. 

'*  Will  you  go  across,  Peter,  and  enter  the  town  ?  " 

"  'No,  no,  Tom  ;  the  sight  of  that  horrible  breach  is 
enough  for  me.  Let  us  mount,  and  ride  o3  at  once.  I 
am  quite  sick  after  this  awful  suspense." 

It  was  as  well  that  the  Scudamores  did  not  enter  the 
town,  as,  had  they  done  so,  they  might  have  shared  the 
fate  of  several  other  officers,  who  were  shot  down  while 
trying  to  stop  the  troops  in  their  wild  excesses.  Xo  more 
disgraceful  atrocities  were  ever  committed  by  the  most 
barbarous  nations  of  antiquity  than  those  which  disgraced 
the  British  name  at  the  storming  of  St.  Sebastian.  Shame- 
ful, monstrous  as  h*d  been  the  conduct  of  the  troops  at 
the  storming  of  Ciudad  Piodrigo  and  at  Badajos,  it  was 
infinitely  worse  at  St.  Sebastian.  As  Eapin  says,  hell 
seemed  to  have  broken  loose. 

The  castle  held  out  until  the  9th,  when  it  surrendered, 
and  the  governor  and  his  heroic  garrison  marched  out  TvdtU 


308  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS. 

the  honors  of  war.     The  British  loss  in  the  second  siege 
exceeded  2500  men  and  officers. 

There  was  a  pause  of  two  months  after  the  fall  of  St. 
Sebastian,  and  it  v/as  not  until  the  10th  of  November  that 
"Wellington  hurled  his  forces  against  the  lines  v/hich,  in 
imitation  of  those  of  Torres  Vedras,  Soult  had  formed  and 
fortified  on  the  river  Niveile  to  withstand  the  invasion  of 
France.  After  a  few  hours^  desperate  fighting  the  French 
were  turned  out  of  their  position  with  a  loss  of  killed, 
wounded,  and  prisoners,  of  4265  men  and  officers,  the  loss 
of  the  allies  being  2694. 

Now  the  army  of  invasion  poured  into  France.  The 
French  people,  disheartened  by  Napoleon's  misfortunes  in 
Germ^any,  and  by  the  long  and  mighty  sacrifices  which  they 
had  for  years  been  compelled  to  make,  in  order  to  enable 
Napoleon  to  carry  out  his  gigantic  wars,  showed  but  slight 
hostility  to  the  invaders. 

Wellington  enforced  the  severest  discipline^  paid  for 
everything  required  for  the  troops,  hanging  marauders 
v/ithout  mercy,  and,  finding  that  it  was  impossible  to  keep 
the  Spanish  troops  in  order,  he  sent  the  whole  Spanish  con- 
tingent, 20,000  strong,  back  across  the  Pyrenees. 

He  then  with  the  Anglo-Portuguese  army  m.oved  on  to- 
v/ards  Bayonne,  and  took  up  a  position  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  Nive,  driving  the  French  from  their  position  on  the 
right  bank  on  December  9th.  On  the  13th,  however,  Soult 
attacked  that  portion  of  the  army  on  the  right  of  the  river, 
and  one  of  the  most  desperate  conflicts  of  the  war  took 
place,  known  as  the  battle  of  St.  Pierre.  General  Hill 
commanded  at  this  battle,  and  with  14,000  Anglo-Portu- 
guese, with  14  guns,  repulsed  the  furious  and  repeated 
attacks  of  16,000  French,  with  22  guns. 

In  five  days'  fighting  on  the  ri\er  the  French  lost  more 
than  as  many  thousand  men. 

The  weather  now  for  a  time  interrupted  operations,  but 
'W"elli»gton  was  preparing  for  tjae  passage  of  the  Adour, 


TSE  YOUNG  BXTGLFnS.  8^9 

Sonlt  guarded  the  passages  of  the  river  above  Bayoniie,  and 
never  dreamed  that  an  attempt  would  be  made  to  bridge 
so  wide  and  rough  a  river  as  is  the  Adour  below  the  town. 
With  the  assistance  of  the  sailors  of  the  fleet  the  great 
enterprise  was  accomplished  on  the  13th  of  February,  and 
leaving  General  Hope  to  contain  the  force  in  the  entrenched 
camp  at  Bajonne,  Wellington  marched  the  rest  of  the  army 
to  the  Gave. 

Behind  this  riVer  Soult  had  massed  his  army.  The 
British  crossed  by  pontoon  bridges,  and  before  the  oper- 
ation was  concluded,  and  the  troops  united,  Soult  fell  upon 
them  near  Orthes. 

At  first  the  French  had  the  best  of  the  fight,  driving 
back  both  wings  of  the  allied  forces,  but  Wellington  threw 
the  third  and  sixth  divisions  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
attacking  column  and  sent  the  52nd  Regiment  to  make  a 
detour  through  a  marsh  and  fall  upon  their  other  flank. 
Taken  suddenly  between  two  fires  tlie  French  wavered, 
the  British  pressed  forward  again,  and  the  French  fell  back 
fighting  obstinately,  and  in  good  order.  The  allies  lost 
2300  men,  and  the  French  4000,  Soult  fell  back  towards 
Toulouse,  laying  Bordeaux  open  to  the  Britisb. 


310  TMM  YOVNa  saoZEBS, 


CHAPTER    XX. 


TOULOUSE. 


Promotion"  for  those  who  have  the  good  f ortnne  to  hay© 
a  post  upon  the  commander-in-chiefs  staff  is  rapid.  They 
run  far  less  risk  than  do  the  regimental  officers,  and  they 
have  a  tenfold  better  chance  of  having  their  names  men- 
tioned in  despatches.  The  Scudamores  were  so  mentioned 
for  their  conduct  at  Vittoria,  the  Pyrenees,  and  Orthes, 
and  shortly  after  the  last-named  battle  the  Gazette  from 
England  announced  their  promotion  to  majorities.  This 
put  an  end  to  their  service  as  aides-de-camp,  and  they  were 
attached  to  the  quarter-master's  branch  of  the  staff  of  Lord 
Beresf  ord,  who  was  upon  the  point  of  starting  with  a  small 
force  to  Bordeaux,  where  the  authorities,  thinking  more 
of  party  than  of  patriotism,  had  invited  the  English  to 
enter  and  take  possession,  intending  to  proclaim  their  adhe- 
sion to  the  Bourbon  dynasty. 

The  boys  were  sorry  at  the  exchange,  as  they  feared  that 
they  should  lose  the  crowning  battle  of  the  campaign.  It 
was  evident  that  the  resistance  of  France  was  nearly  at  an 
end,  the  allies  were  approaching  Paris  in  spite  of  the  al- 
most superhuman  efforts  of  Napoleon  ;  the  people,  sick  of 
the  war,  refused  all  assistance  to  the  military  authorities, 
and  were  longing  for  peace,  and  the  end  of  the  struggle 
was  rapidly  approaching. 

Lord  Beresf  ord,  however,  divining  their  thoughts,  as- 
sured them  that  his  stay  at  Bordeaux  would  be  but  short, 
and  that  they  might  rely  upon  being  present  at  the  great 
battle  which  would  probably  be  fought  somewhere  near 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  811 

Tonlouse,  towards  which  town  Soult  had  retreated  after 
the  battle  of  Orthes. 

Upon  the  8th  of  March,  Beresford  marched  with  12,000 
men  for  Bordeaux,  and  meeting  with  no  opposition  by  the 
way,  entered  that  city  on  the  12th.  The  mayor,  a  royalist, 
came  out  to  meet  them,  and  by  the  upper  classes  of  the 
town  they  were  received  as  friends  rather  than  foes. 
Handsome  quarters  were  assigned  to  Lord  Beresford  and 
his  staff,  and  the  Scudamores  for  a  day  or  two  enjoyed  the 
luxury  of  comfortable  apartments  and  of  good  food  after 
their  hard  fare  for  nine  months. 

The  day  after  they  entered  Bordeaux  Tom  had  occasion 
to  call  at  the  office  of  a  banker  in  order  to  get  a  govern- 
ment draft  cashed,  to  pay  for  a  number  of  wagons  which 
had  been  purchased  for  the  quarter-master's  department. 
The  banker's  name  was  Weale,  an  American,  said  to  be  the 
richest  man  in  Bordeaux.  His  fortune  had  been  made,  it 
was  said,  by  large  government  contracts. 

When  Tom  returned,  Peter  was  surprised  to  see  him 
looking  pale  and  excited. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Tom  ?" 

*'  Do  you  know,  Peter,  I  am  convinced  that  that  Ameri- 
can banker  I  have  been  to  see  to-day  is  neither  more^  nor 
less  than  that  scoundrel,  Walsh,  who  bolted  with  all  the 
bank  funds,  and  was  the  cause  of  our  father's  death.'' 

**  You  don't  say  so,  Tom." 

*'  It  is  a  fact,  Peter;  I  could  swear  to  him." 

"  What  shall  we  do,  Tom  ?  " 

*'  I  only  cashed  one  of  the  two  drafts  I  had  with  me  this 
morning  ;  Peter,  you  go  this  afternoon  with  the  other,  and, 
if  you  are  as  certain  as  I  feel  about  it,  we  will  speak  to 
Beresford  at  dinner." 

Peter  returned  in  the  afternoon  satisfied  that  his 
brother's  surmises  were  correct,  and  that  in  the  supposed 
American  Weale  they  had  really  discovered  the  English 
iwiiidler  Walalu 


312  TEE  YOUNQ  BUGLERS, 

After  dinner  they  asked  Lord  Beresf ord  to  speak  to  them 
for  a  few  minutes  alone. 

The  general  was  greatly  surprised  and  interested  at  their 
communication. 

"  Of  how  much  did  this  fellow  rob  your  father's  bank  ? '' 
he  asked. 

"The  total  defalcation,  including  money  borrowed  on 
title-deeds  deposited  in  the  bank,  which  had  to  be  made 
good,  was,  I  heard,  from  75,000Z.  to  80,000^.,^'  Tom  said. 

''  Very  well,'^  said  Lord  Beresford,  "  we  will  make  the 
scoundrel  pay  up  with  interest.  Order  out  thirty  men  of 
the  13th." 

While  the  men  were  mustering,  the  general  returned  to 
the  dining-room  and  begged  the  officers  who  were  dining 
with  him  to  excuse  him  for  half  an  hour,  as  he  had  some 
unexpected  business  to  perform.  Then  he  walked  across 
with  the  Scudamores  to  the  banker's  house,  which  was 
only  in  the  next  street. 

Twenty  of  the  men  were  then  ordered  to  form  a  cordon 
round  the  house  and  to  watch  the  various  entrances.  The 
other  ten,  together  with  the  officer  in  command,  the  general 
told  to  follow  him  into  the  house.  The  arrangements  com- 
pleted, he  rang  at  the  bell,  and  the  porter  at  once  opened 

the  gate. 

He  started  and  would  have  tried  to  shut  it  again  on  see- 
ing the  armed  party.  But  Lord  Beresford  said,  "  I  am  the 
general  commanding  the  British  troops  here.  Make  no 
noise,  but  show  me  directly  to  your  master." 

The  man  hesitated,  but  seeing  that  the  force  was  too 
great  to  be  resisted,  led  the  way  through  the  courtyard 
into  the  house  itself. 

Some  servants  in  the  hall  started  up  with  amazement, 
and  would  have  run  off,  but  Lord  Beresford  cried,  "  Stay 
quiet  for  your  lives.  No  one  will  be  hurt ;  but  if  any  one 
moves  from  the  hall,  he  will  be  shot."  Then,  followed  by 
Tom  m^  l*eter  onl^,  he  opened  the  door  which  the  porte? 


THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS,  813 

pointed  ont  to  him  as  that  of  the  room  where  the  banker 
was  sitting. 

He  was  alone,  and  started  to  his  feet  upon  beholding 
three  British  officers  enter  unannounced.  "  What  means 
this?''  he  demanded  angrily.  '' I  am  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  and  for  any  outrage  upon  me  satisfaction 
will  be  demanded  by  my  Government." 

''  I  am  Lord  Beresford/'  the  general  said  quietly,  ''  and 
quite  know  what  I  am  doing.  I  do  not  quite  agree  with 
you  that  the  Government  of  the  United  States  will  make 
any  demand  for  satisfaction  for  any  outrage  upon  your 
person,  nor,  if  they  do  so,  will  it  benefit  you  greatly ;  for 
I  am  about,  in  five  minutes'  time,  to  order  you  to  be  shot, 
Mr.  Walsh." 

As  the  name  was  uttered  the  banker,  who  had  listened 
with  increasing  pallor  to  the  stern  words  of  the  general, 
started  violently,  and  turned  ghastly  white.  For  a  minute 
or  so  he  was  too  surprised  and  confounded  to  speak. 
Then  he  said,  in  a  husky  tone,  ''  It  is  false  ;  I  am  an 
American  citizen.  I  know  nothing  whatever  about  James 
Walsh." 

"James  Walsh!"  the  general  said;  ''I  said  nothing 
about  James.  It  is  you  who  have  told  us  his  Christian 
name,  which  is,  I  have  no  doubt,  the  correct  one." 

He  looked  to  Tom,  who  nodded  assent. 

"  I  know  nothing  about  any  Walsh,"  the  banker  said 
doggedly.     "  Who  says  I  do  ?  " 

*'  We  do,  James  Walsh,"  Tom  said,  stepping  forward. 
"  Tom  and  Peter  Scudamore,  the  sons  of  the  man  you 
robbed  and  ruined." 

The  banker  stared  at  them  wildly,  and  then,  with  a 
hoarse  cry,  dropped  into  his  chair. 

"James  Walsh,"  the  general  said  sternly,  "  your  life  is 
doubly  forfeit.  As  a  thief  and  a  swindler,  the  courts  of 
law  will  punish  you  with  death  ; "  for  in  those  days  death 
was  the  penalty  of  a  crime  of  this  kind.     *'  In  the  second 


814  THE  YOUNG  BUGLERS, 

place,  as  a  traitor.  As  a  man  who  has  given  aid  and  as* 
sistance  to  the  enemies  of  your  country,  your  life  is  forfeit, 
and  I,  as  the  general  in  command  here,  doom  you  to  death. 
In  five  minutes  you  will  be  shot  in  your  courtyard  as  a 
thief  and  a  traitor/' 

"  Spare  me  ! "  the  wretched  man  said,  slipping  off  his 
chair  on  to  his  knees.  "  Spare  my  life,  and  take  all  that 
I  have.  I  am  rich,  and  can  restore  much  of  that  which  I 
took.     I  will  pay  50,000?." 

'*  Fifty  thousaid  pounds  ! "  the  general  said  ;  "  yon  stole 
80,000?.,  which,  with  interest,  comes  up  to  100,000?., 
besides  which  you  must  pay  for  acting  as  a  traitor.  The 
military  chest  is  empty,  and  we  want  money.  I  will  value 
your  wretched  life  at  25,000?.  If  you  make  that  sum  a 
present  to  our  military  chest,  and  pay  Major  Scudamore  the 
100,000?.  of  which  you  swindled  his  father,  I  will  spare 
3>on.'' 

'^  One  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  ! "  the 
banker  said  fiercely.     *^  Never ;  I  will  die  first." 

''Very  well,"  Lord  Beresford  said  quietly.  "Major 
Scudamore,  please  call  in  the  officer  and  four  men."  Tom 
did  as  requested,  and  Lord  Beresford  then  addressed  the 
officer.  *^  You  will  take  this  man,  who  is  an  Englishman, 
who  has  been  acting  as  a  traitor,  and  giving  assistance  to 
the  French  army,  you  will  take  a  firing  party,  place  him 
against  the  wall  of  the  yard,  give  him  five  minutes  to  make 
his  peace  with  God,  and  when  the  five  minutes  are  up, 
unless  he  tells  you  before  that  that  he  wishes  to  see  me, 
shoot  him." 

Pale  and  desperate,  the  banker  was  led  out. 

"  He  will  give  way,  I  hope,"  Tom  said,  as  the  door  closed 
behind  him. 

''  He  will  give  way  before  the  time  is  up,"  Lord  Beres- 
ford said.     "  He  is  a  coward  ;  I  saw  it  in  his  face." 

jfour  minutes  passed  on,  the  door  opened  again^  and  tlj.9 


THE  TOUNO  BVGLETtS.  315 

officer  returned  with  his  prisoner.     '*  He  says  he  agrees  to 
your  terms,  sir." 

**  Very  well/'  Lord  Beresford  answered  ;  *'  remain  out- 
side with  your  men  ;  they  may  be  wanted  yet." 

The  prisoner,  without  a  word,  led  the  way  into  an  ad- 
joining room,  which  communicated  with  the  public  office. 
This  was  his  private  parlor,  and  in  a  corner  stood  a  safe. 
He  unlocked  it,  and,  taking  out  some  books  and  papers, 
sat  down  to  the  table. 

His  mood  had  evidently  changed.  "  I  was  a  fool  to  hold 
out,"  he  said,  ''  for  I  had  my  name  for  wealth  against  me, 
and  might  have  known  you  would  not  give  way.  After  all, 
I  do  not  know  that  I  am  altogether  sorry,  for  I  have  always 
had  an  idea  that  some  day  or  other  the  thing  would  come 
out,  and  now  I  can  go  back  and  be  comfortable  for  the  rest 
of  my  life.  How  will  you  have  the  money,  gentlemen  ? 
I  have  50,000?.  in  cash,  and  can  give  you  a  draft  on  the 
Bank  of  England  for  the  rest.  You  look  surprised,  but  I 
have  always  been  prepared  to  cut  and  run  from  this  coun- 
try at  the  shortest  notice,  and  every  penny  I  have  beyond 
the  cash  absolutely  required  is  in  England  or  America." 

"  I  will  take  25,000?.  in  cash  for  the  use  of  the  army,'* 
Lord  Beresford  said.  "  I  will  send  an  officer  of  the  com- 
missariat to-morrow  for  it.  The  100,000?.  you  may  pay 
these  gentlemen  in  drafts  on  England.  Until  I  hear  that 
these  drafts  are  honored,  I  shall  keep  you  under  surveil- 
ance,  and  you  will  not  be  suffered  to  leave  your  house." 

"  It  will  be  all  right,"  Walsh  said.  "  There  is  my  Bank- 
of  England  pass-book  ;  you  will  see  that  I  have  120,000?. 
standing  to  the  credit  of  J.  Weale  there.  I  have  as 
much  in  America.  I  should  not  tell  you  this  did  I  not 
know  that  you  are  a  gentleman,  and  therefore  will  not  raise 
terms  now  that  you  see  I  can  pay  higher.  There,  Mr. 
Scudamore,  is  the  draft,  and,  believe  me  or  not,  I  am  glad 
to  repay  it,  and  to  feel,  for  the  first  time  for  many  years, 
a  free  man.    Please  to  give  me  a  receipt  for  the  80,000^ 


!>|5  THE  YOVNG  BUGLEHS. 

due  by  me  to  the  Bank,  and  for  20,000?.,  five  years'  in- 
terest on  the  same/' 

Tom  did  as  he  was  desired  without  speaking.  There 
was  a  tone  of  effrontery  mingled  with  the  half-earnestness 
of  this  successful  swindler  that  disgusted  him. 

*'  There,''  the  general  said,  as  the  receipts  were  handed 
over  ;  ''  come  along,  lads,  the  business  is  over,  and  I  do 
not  think  that  we  have  any  more  to  say  to  Mr.  Weale." 

So  saying,  without  further  word,  the  three  went  out. 

Upon  rejoining  the  officer  without.  Lord  Beresford  direct- 
ed that  a  sergeant  and  ten  men  were  to  be  quartered  in  the 
house,  and  that  a  sentry  was  to  be  placed  at  each  entrance 
night  and  day,  and  that  the  banker  was  not  to  be  permitted 
to  stir  out  under  any  pretence  whatever  until  further 
orders. 

"  There,  lads,  I  congratulate  you  heartily,"  he  said  as 
they  issued  from  the  gate,  in  answer  to  the  warm  thanks 
in  which  the  boys  expressed  their  gratitude  to  him  ;  '^  it 
is  a  stroke  of  luck  indeed  that  you  came  with  me  to  Bor- 
deaux. It  was  rough-and-ready  justice,  and  I  don't  sup- 
pose a  court  of  law  in  England  would  approve  of  it  ;  but 
we  are  under  martial  law,  so  even  were  that  fellow  disposed 
to  question  the  matter,  which  you  may  be  very  sure  he  will 
not,  we  are  safe  enough.  They  say  'ill-gotten  gains  fly 
fast,'  but  the  scamp  has  prospered  on  the  money  he  stole. 
He  owned  to  having  another  hundred  thousand  safe  in  the 
States,  and  no  doubt  he  has  at  least  as  much  more  in  se- 
curities of  one  sort  or  other  here.  I  daresay  he  was  in 
earnest  when  he  said  that  he  did  not  mind  paying  the  money 
to  get  rid  of  the  chance  of  detection  and  punishment, 
which  must  have  been  ever  in  his  mind.  The  best  thing 
you  can  do,  Scudamore,  is  to  write  to  James  Pearson — he's 
my  solicitor  in  London — and  give  him  authority  to  present 
this  draft,  and  invest  the  sum  in  your  joint  names  in  good 
securities.  Inclose  the  draft.  I  shall  be  sending  off  an 
orderly  with  despatches  and  letters  at  daybreak,  and  if  you 


TEE  YOUNG  BUGLERS.  317 

•will  give  me  your  letter  to-night,  I  will  inclose  it  in  a  note 
of  my  own  to  Pearson." 

Five  days  later  an  order  arrived  for  Lord  Beresford  to 
leave  the  seventh  division  under  Lord  Dalhousie,  in  Bor- 
deaux, and  to  march  with  the  fourth  division  to  join  the 
Commander-in-Chief,  who  was  gradually  drawing  near  to 
Toulouse,  beneath  whose  walls  Soult  was  reorganizing  his 
army.  The  position  was  a  very  strong  one,  and  had  been 
rendered  almost  impregnable  by  fortifications  thrown  upon 
the  heights.  Wellington  had,  too,  the  disadvantage  of 
having  to  separate  his  army,  as  the  town  lay  upon  both 
sides  of  the  Garonne. 

On  the  10th  of  April  the  allied  army  attacked.  Hill  at- 
tacked the  defences  of  the  town  on  the  left  bank,  while 
Freyre's  Spaniards,  Picton,  with  the  third  and  light  di- 
visions, and  Beresford  with  the  fourth  and  the  sixth  di- 
visions, assaulted  a  French  position.  The  entrenchments 
in  front  of  Picton  were  too  strong  to  be  more  than  menaced. 
Freyre's  S^mniards  were  repulsed  with  great  loss,  and  the 
brunt  Ox  the  battle  fell  upon  Beresford's  division,  which  no- 
bly sustained  the  character  of  the  British  soldier  for  stubborn 
valor  in  this  the  last  battle  of  the  war.  The  French  fought 
stubbornly  and  well,  but  fort  by  fort  the  British  drove  them 
from  their  strong  positions,  and  at  five  in  the  afternoon 
Soult  withdrew  the  last  of  his  troops  in  good  order  across 
the  canal  which  separated  the  position  they  had  defended 
from  the  tov/n  itself.  The  French  lost  five  generals  and 
3000  killed  and  wounded  ;  the  allies  four  generals  and 
4659  killed  and  wounded,  of  which  2000  were  Spaniards, 
for  they  upon  this  occasion  fought  bravely,  though  unsuc- 
cessfully. 

On  the  11th  all  was  quiet,  Wellington  preparing  for  an 
attack  upon  the  city  on  the  following  day.  Soult,  how- 
ever, finding  that  the  British  cavalry  had  been  sent  off  so 
as  to  menace  his  line  of  retreat,  evacuated  the  city  in  the 
pight,  drew  off  his  army  with  great  order  and  ability,  aod 


318  THE  TOUNO  BU0LEB8. 

by  a  march  of  twenty-two  miles  placed  it  in  safety.  Upon 
the  morning  of  the  12th  Wellington  entered  Toulouse,  and 
the  same  afternoon  two  officers,  one  British,  the  other 
French,  arrived  together  from  Paris,  with  the  news  of  the 
abdication  of  Napoleon,  and  the  termination  of  the  war. 

These  officers  had  been  detained  for  two  days  at  Blois  by 
the  officials  there,  and  this  delay  had  cost  the  blood  of 
8000  men,  among  whom  was  Tom  Scudamore,  who  had  his 
left  arm  carried  away  by  a  cannon  ball.  Sam,  in  the  act 
of  carrying  his  master  from  the  field,  was  also  severely 
wounded  in  the  head  with  a  musket  ball. 

Before  the  battle  was  fought  they  had  received  news 
from  England  that  the  draft  had  been  paid  at  the  Bank  of 
England,  and  that  their  future  was  in  consequence  secure. 
The  war  being  over,  officers  unattached  to  regiments  had 
little  difficulty  in  getting  leave  of  absence,  as  the  troops 
were  to  be  embarked  for  England  as  soon  as  possf  jle. 
Peter's  application,  therefore,  to  accompany  his  brotner 
was  acceded  to  without  hesitation,  and  ten  days  after  the 
battle  of  Toulouse  he  was  on  board  ship  with  Tom  and 
Sam,  both  of  whom  were  doing  well.  Three  days  after- 
wards they  landed  in  England. 

Rhoda  met  them,  with  Miss  Scudamore,  at  Portsmith, 
having  received  a  letter  telling  them  of  Tom's  wound,  and 
of  their  being  upon  the  point  of  sailing.  There  was  a 
great  reduction  of  the  army  at  the  end  of  the  war,  and  the 
Scudamores  were  both  placed  upon  half  pay.  This  was  a 
matter  of  delight  to  Rhoda,  and  of  satisfaction  to  themselves. 
They  had  had  enough  of  adventure  to  last  for  a  life- 
time ;  and  with  the  prospect  of  a  long  peace  the  army  no 
longer  offered  them  any  strong  attraction. 

When  they  returned  to  Miss  Scudamore's  their  old  friend 
Dr.  Jarvis  came  to  visit  them,  and  a  happier  party  could 
not  have  been  found  in  England.  The  will  of  Mr.  Scuda- 
more, made  before  he  was  aware  of  his  ruin,  was  now  acted 
lipon.    He  had  left  ^0,000^.  to  Rhoda^  and  the  rest  of  his 


THE  rOUXG  BUGLERS.  319 

fortune  in  equal  parts  between  his  boys.  Both  Tom  anci 
Peter  were  fond  of  a  country  life,  and  they  bought  two 
adjoining  estates  near  Oxford,  Rhoda  agreeing  to  stop  with 
them  and  Miss  Scudamore  alternately. 

For  a  brief  time  there  was  a  break  in  their  happiness. 
Napoleon  escaped  from  Elba,  and  Europe  was  in  a  flame 
again.  All  the  officers  on  half  pay  were  ordered  to  present 
themselves  for  duty,  and  the  Scudamores  crossed  with  the 
army  to  Belgium,  and  fought  at  Waterloo.  Xeither  were 
hurt,  nor  was  Sam,  who  had  of  course  accompanied  them. 
Waterloo  gave  them  another  step  in  rank,  and  the  Scuda- 
mores returned  as  colonels  to  England. 

It  was  their  last  war.  A  few  years  afterwards  they  mar- 
ried sisters,  and  Rhoda  having  the  year  previous  married 
a  gentleman  whose  estate  was  in  the  same  county,  they 
remained  as  united  as  ever.  Sambo  held  for  many  a  year 
the  important  position  of  butler  to  Tom,  then  he  found 
that  one  of  the  housemaids  did  not  regard  his  color  as 
any  insuperable  obstacle,  and  they  were  accordingly 
married.  It  was  difficult  to  say  after  this  exactly  the  posi- 
tion which  Sam  held.  He  lived  at  a  cottage  on  the  edge 
of  the  estate,  where  it  joined  that  of  Peter,  and  his  time  was 
spent  in  generally  looking  after  things  at  both  houses,  and 
as  years  went  on  his  great  delight  was,  above  ail  things,  to 
relate  to  numerous  young  Scudamores  the  adventures  of 
their  father  and  uncle  when  he  first  knew  them  as  tiie 
^oung  Buglers. 

ins  fiin>. 


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